


How Family Calls

by bex2313



Category: When Calls the Heart (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 45,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bex2313/pseuds/bex2313
Summary: I really like the books as well as the show, so this is my fusion of the two. Christine Delaney, Wynn and Beth Delaney's adoptive daughter, is looking for her biological family and is led to her cousin's town Hope Valley. There she finds family, healing, and love. (I love Lucas, but this story is straight up Elizabeth/Nathan)
Kudos: 2





	1. A Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This story is a bit of a crossover, but not really. Christine has some of the same qualities/personality traits as she does in the book, and some of the same life experiences, but it's not exactly true to the original. If you haven't read the original Canadian West books by Janette Oke, they're pretty good.

Lucas Bouchard was behind the bar in the saloon. It was a bit of a slow evening, and he expected to close up soon. So when the door opened, he didn’t even look up from the bottles he was straightening before saying, “We’re just about to close, but can I get you something to take away?” 

“Lucas, do you have any rooms available?” He looked up in surprise to see the local school teacher walking arm-in-arm with a beautiful woman about her age with blonde hair pinned up and gentle blue eyes. 

“I certainly do have a room, Elizabeth. Would you be so gracious as to introduce me to your friend?” 

“Of course. Lucas Bouchard, meet my cousin Christine Delaney. Her mother was the first Elizabeth Thatcher, my father’s older sister, and like me, she moved out west to be a teacher on the frontier.”

“And then fell in love with a Mountie and decided to stay,” Miss Delaney said with a laugh. “I love when Mum tells me the story of how they met.” 

“It is a beautiful story,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “But Christine needs a room for just one night. She showed up _unannounced,_ and since I told Nathan that Allie could stay with me while he’s helping Constable Kinslow, I have nowhere for her to sleep.”

“She is certainly welcome. Room number three is available. Second door on the left at the top of the stairs. Do you need any help carrying your luggage?” 

“No, thank you. We’ll be fine.” Elizabeth took the key that Lucas held out to her and then practically dragged her cousin up the stairs. 

* * *

“So what are you doing in Hope Valley?” Elizabeth asked her cousin as she watched her get settled in her room. 

“Mother and Father are helping me look for my birth family, and apparently my biological brother used to live here. So I’m here to look. I had forgotten that you live here now, or I would have sent you a wire.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that! I’m just happy to see you! It’s been, what? At least ten years?”

“The last time I saw you was the last time I was in Hamilton. Mum and I came to visit about a year before you moved here. So about eight years ago.” 

“That’s right! I remember, talking to Aunt Beth was what inspired me to begin praying about moving out west. Listening to her talk about her calling encouraged me to really consider what God was calling _me_ to do with my life.”

“Yeah, she’s an incredible woman of deep faith.” Christine yawned. 

“Oh Christine, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you from getting some sleep. I’ll leave you to get ready for bed. But would you like to come have breakfast with me tomorrow? You could meet my son.” 

“I would love that. Thank you Elizabeth.” 

“Perfect. I’ll come get you and escort you back to my home tomorrow morning around 7?”

“Don’t be silly. I’m sure someone will give me directions to your home. I’ll be there by 7.”

Elizabeth smiled. “If you’re sure you don’t mind. I imagine Lucas, the man who owns the saloon, would be willing to walk you over if you wanted company.”

“Thank you Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth took the hint and made her way out of her cousin’s rented room. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well!” 

* * *

Around 6:30 the next morning, Christine was all ready to go have breakfast with her cousin. She walked downstairs with her handbag in search of someone to give her directions. When she made it down to the restaurant level, she paused. The space was completely empty, and she felt like she was intruding. “So much for finding someone to give me directions,” she said aloud to herself. So she was startled when someone cleared his throat behind her. She jumped and turned around. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you Miss Delaney.” The well-dressed gentleman from behind the bar last night stood there smiling at her. 

Christine chuckled. “I’ve always been a bit easy to startle, I’m afraid. Product of my youth, I guess.” She took a deep breath. “If I remember correctly, you’re Mr. Bouchard?” 

The man smiled widely, his eyes twinkling. “You are remembering correctly. Elizabeth is a friend of mine, and last night she asked if I wouldn’t mind escorting you to her home this morning. I told her I was happy to do so if you didn’t mind the company.” 

“I don’t mind at all,” Christine said with a smile. _Although I ought to be wary of this one. A charming manner sometimes hides a selfish heart._

Lucas held out his arm to her. “Then let’s be on our way.” Christine took his arm and allowed him to escort her out of the saloon and onto the quiet streets of Hope Valley. 

“I hope you were comfortable last night, Miss Delaney.” The man’s smooth voice eased her slightly frazzled mind from her minor scare earlier. 

She smiled at her companion. “Yes, it’s a lovely room. I was very comfortable.” 

“Good. We certainly aim to please at the Queen of Hearts.” The duo fell silent for a moment before Lucas began speaking again. “So are you from Hamilton like Elizabeth?” 

“No, I grew up in the Northern Territories.” Christine knew her voice had taken a wistful tone. “It was heaven. But when my brother joined the Mounties like our father, I realized I had to grow up too, so I went to Secretarial School and became a secretary in Calgary.”

“I see. You’ve come pretty far east from Calgary.”

“Yes, my brother and his wife were transferred to Benson Hills, and while there he found… something… that led me here.” 

“Ah, a woman on a mysterious quest. How intriguing.” 

“It’s not really all that intriguing, but it is personal, Mr. Bouchard, and we’ve been acquainted for less than a day.” After all that had happened with Boyd, Christine was careful not to reveal too much of herself with strange men. 

“Very true, Miss Delaney. I beg your pardon, I don’t mean to pry. I especially know that sometimes we have reasons for keeping things to ourselves.”

Christine stopped in her tracks and gave her companion a strange look, understanding lighting her eyes. “Oh. You’re the man who put my cousin in danger. Something about a loan shark and a widow you befriended?” 

Lucas didn’t meet her eyes as he nodded. “Did Elizabeth tell you?” he asked calmly, although Christine thought he looked a bit tense.

“You forget that my brother and my father are both Mounties. When Elizabeth moved west, Uncle William asked my father to do what he could to… keep an eye out for her whenever possible. Henry has done the same, and when he saw a report from a Judge Avery that mentioned Elizabeth, he shared some of the details with the rest of us. I was staying with his family at the time, looking after the children. Otherwise I doubt I would have heard anything about it.” 

“I see.” Lucas had visibly relaxed, which Christine was grateful for. She hadn’t meant to make him ill at ease. 

“So how did you end up in Hope Valley?” Christine asked, trying to change the subject. 

Lucas grinned. “I simply saw an opportunity and I took it.” When Christine gave him a questioning glance, he continued. “The saloon was for sale and I’d never been here before, so I bought it and moved here immediately.” 

“I see. And do you like it here?” 

“Very much. The town holds a dear place in my heart.” 

The pair had arrived at a row of houses and Lucas gestured to the nearest one. “Miss Delaney, I present to you the Thornton residence.”

She turned to her charming escort and smiled. “Thank you for walking me over. I enjoyed our conversation.” 

“As did I. I hope we shall see each other again before your departure.” 

“Goodbye, Mr. Bouchard.”

“Miss Delaney.” Lucas nodded politely at her and turned back down the road, presumably to return to the saloon. 

Christine walked up the steps of the house that was identical to every other. She boldly knocked on the door and waited. 

After a brief moment, the door was opened to reveal Elizabeth holding a small boy with blond hair and blue eyes in her arms. “Chrissie! Good morning!” Elizabeth exclaimed, pulling her door open further to reveal a tidy and cozy home behind her. “Come in, please!” 

Christine walked through the door and turned to her cousin as she closed the door behind her. “Thank you again for letting me come for breakfast, Elizabeth! It’s very kind of you!” 

“Well, if Nathan gets home today, then you can stay here the rest of your time in Hope Valley.” Elizabeth smiled warmly at her cousin as she led her to an armchair. She sighed. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s lovely to see you as well. And this is Baby Jack?” Christine asked. 

The little boy in Elizabeth’s arms grinned. “It sure is. Jack, can you say hello to Aunt Chrissie?” 

Little Jack giggled and waved to Christine. 

“Oh Elizabeth, he’s wonderful.” Christine sighed. At almost 26, Christine had expected to be a wife and mother by now herself, but it seemed God had other plans. 

“He is the light of my life,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to hold him while I wake Allie? She needs to start getting ready for school.”

“Of course, Elizabeth.” Christine took the little boy from his mother’s arms and began gently bouncing him in her arms. “Hello Jack. Hello. You are just the handsomest fella I’ve ever seen, isn’t that right?” She picked up a stuffed horse from the end table and started nuzzling him with it. “Is that a horsey? Do you like horses Jack? Yeah? I bet you do. Your daddy liked horses, and your Uncles Wynn and Henry like horses. I like horses.” She kept talking to the child in her arms, and he giggled and gurgled the whole time. 

After a few moments, she heard the voice of a young girl behind her. “Jack really likes you.” Christine turned to see a young girl of about 12 with straight light brown hair and big brown eyes. 

“Hello,” Christine greeted her as she stood, holding Jack on her hip carefully with her left arm. “You must be Allie. I’m Christine Delaney, Elizabeth’s cousin.” 

“Yeah, Mrs. Thornton told me her cousin was here. You’re pretty, but you don’t look anything like Mrs. Thornton.” 

Christine smiled. “Well thank you. And I don’t look anything like her because we’re not really related. Her aunt and uncle adopted me after my parents died when I was about Jack’s age.” 

“My mom died too,” Allie said sadly. “But my Uncle Nathan adopted me, and we’re a family now.” 

“I’m glad you had someone to look out for you. And I’m glad that Elizabeth’s Uncle Wynn and Aunt Beth decided to adopt me. We became a family too, along with my brother Henry, who was adopted by Wynn and Beth when he was around your age.” 

Just then, Elizabeth descended the stairs with a book in her hands. “I’m sorry I took so long, I realized that I had forgotten a book that I had promised to loan Opal in my room, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. It seems little Jack threw it behind his rocking chair last night.” She set the book down on the end table and reached over to take her child from Christine’s arms. “So, who’s ready for breakfast? I have pancakes and bacon and eggs all keeping warm in the oven!” 

* * *

By 7:45, breakfast was eaten and the dishes washed up. Elizabeth tried to stop Christine from washing the dishes, but Christine insisted. “Since you cooked, I clean.” Just as Christine was setting out the last plate to dry, there was a knock at the door. 

“Oh, I bet that’s Laura, my nanny,” Elizabeth said with a smile. 

Allie had already raced to the door and opened it. “Hey Laura! Come meet Mrs. Thornton’s cousin!” She practically dragged the other girl into the room and over to Christine. 

“Miss Delaney, this is Laura. Laura, this is Miss Delaney.” 

Laura smiled and held out her hand to Christine. She was a pretty girl with a very intelligent look in her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you Miss Delaney,” she said with a genuine smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Laura. I’ve heard wonderful things about you. And I know you are such a help to my cousin.” 

Elizabeth beamed. “It’s true. I don’t know what I would do without you, Laura! But we’ve got to be heading to school, Allie! Are you ready?” 

“I just have to run upstairs and grab my essay on Emily Dickinson, and then I’ll be ready to go!” Allie said as she scrambled to pull her shoes on. 

“Christine, do you want to come to school with us? The children would all love to meet you. You could even share a bit about your experience in the Northern Territories, if you wanted.” 

Christine felt her cheeks flush. “I’m not sure you would want me to speak to them. I’m not a very gifted speaker.” 

Elizabeth patted her shoulder. “I’m sure you would do an excellent job, but you don’t have to speak to them at all if you don’t want to. And you don’t have to come, of course.”

“I think I may head over to the Mountie Station first, because Henry told me he wired the constable that I was coming.”

“Well, I don’t know if Nathan is back yet, but Bill Avery, the local judge, will have access to any documents that you may need. You can find him in the Mayor’s office.”

Christine paused. She had planned on taking care of her business quickly, but if the constable was still out of town, there would be little point. Even if the judge had access to documentation, Christine still needed whatever Henry had wired to his fellow Mountie. “I suppose I could come with you to school. As long as I don’t have to speak.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “I promise I won’t force you to talk to the class as a whole. I can’t promise the students won’t want to talk to you, though.” 

Allie raced down the stairs. “I’m ready to go Mrs. Thornton!”

“Lovely, let’s get a move on then!” Elizabeth tucked her basket onto her right arm and pulled the door open. Then she instantly smiled and turned to Allie. “Allie, there’s a surprise for you,” she said lightly. She pulled the door open a bit wider so Allie could see a figure in red serge walking toward them from a bit down the street. 

“Uncle Nathan!” she called out as she ran out the door. 

Elizabeth and Christine followed her out the door and toward the pair who were now hugging in the street. “It’s like he’d been gone for a month instead of just a night.” 

Christine smiled and nodded a bit solemnly. “Yeah, but when he puts on his red serge and walks out the door, you never know if you’ll get another hello.”

Elizabeth’s smile fell a bit and she sighed. Christine realized too late what she had said. “Oh Elizabeth, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring things up from your past.” 

“It’s alright, Christine. I know you know the fear that’s just a part of loving a Mountie better than I do. And you’ve known it longer.” 

As Elizabeth was speaking, Christine was examining the Mountie carefully. Something about him struck her as very familiar. “Nathan Grant?” she called out after a moment. 

The man looked up at her in surprise. “Christine? Is that you?” he called back in response. He took a few more steps toward her as Christine quickened her pace. 

Suddenly, they were standing face to face and smiling. “Nathan Grant! It’s been a very long time!” Christine said with a smile. “I haven’t seen you in years!” She pulled him into a hug.

“Not since I left Athabasca Landing!” Nathan nodded enthusiastically as he stepped out of the embrace. “How are you doing? How’s Henry? And your parents, how are they?”

“Uncle Nathan, do you know Miss Delaney?” Allie interrupted, tapping on his arm. He looked at the girl beside him. 

“I do. How do _you_ know Miss Delaney?” he asked his niece, while keeping eye contact with Christine. 

“She’s Mrs. Thornton’s cousin, so she came over for breakfast this morning.” 

“I see.” Nathan nodded seriously to his niece. “Well, I think it’s time for you to be heading to school. I didn’t mean to make you and your teacher,” at this comment Nathan looked at Elizabeth and nodded, blushing faintly, “late. Would you mind a Mountie escort to class?” he asked jokingly, still looking at Elizabeth. 

“We would enjoy that very much, Constable,” Elizabeth said with a smile. Christine couldn’t help but think she looked very happy with the addition to their party. “So, how do you know each other?”

Nathan grinned. “I went through Mountie training with her brother Henry. Since my family lived farther east, when we had breaks Henry dragged me back to his parents’ house. Wynn and Beth treated me like a member of the family. And then of course, I managed to get stationed at Athabasca Landing with Wynn as my commanding officer, and they had me over all the time.” 

“You know Mum, Elizabeth. She loves taking people in, making them a part of the family.”

“And she’s a fantastic cook,” Nathan added. “I swear she filled that house with people every Sunday afternoon for lunch. I was lucky to get an invite.” 

“Oh please. Nathan, you had a standing invitation to the Delaney table. Nathan here saved Henry’s life once,” Christine explained. 

“Is that so?” Elizabeth asked, one eyebrow raised. 

“Not really. Henry would have been fine without me. He’s a smart guy,” Nathan shrugged off the compliment, and Christine felt a laugh rise from her belly. 

“Nathan, you still haven’t learned to take a compliment, have you? And it’s been almost ten years since I saw you last.” 

Nathan scratched his neck uncomfortably and watched the ground. He was saved from responding by Allie seeing one of her friends. “Robert! Hey!” She ran to catch up to him. 

Elizabeth pulled her watch out of her basket. “I need to get inside so I can ring the bell,” she said. “Chrissie, do you still want to come to school, or would you rather just head straight into town with Nathan and get started?” 

Christine took a deep breath. “If you don’t mind, I do really want to get started. But I’ll come with you to school tomorrow?” 

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed her hand. “That sounds perfect. Good luck with your search. I hope you both have a good day,” she said before stepping quickly up to her schoolhouse to get her bell. 

As Elizabeth rang the bell, Nathan turned to Christine with a question in his eyes. “So what are you doing in Hope Valley?” he asked as they began walking toward town. 

“You know that I was adopted when I was a baby,” Christine began. Nathan nodded. “Well, the Delaneys were told that my whole family had died in a fire. But then a few months ago, Mum got a letter from the pastor who put me in their care. Apparently, I had a brother who survived the fire as well. He was sent off to live with our mother’s sister. But Pastor Jefferson didn’t know until recently. He was contacted by our neighbor because she had some old things of our mother’s. She wanted to get in touch with both me and my brother. Pastor Jefferson told my parents that he hadn’t known about my brother, and that the neighbor didn’t have any other information other than that he was five and our aunt supposedly took him in. I’ve been looking for him ever since, with the help of Mum and Dad, and of course Henry.” 

“Wow,” Nathan said with a deep breath. By the time Christine had finished her story, they had reached the edge of town. “And you think he’s in Hope Valley?” 

Christine shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. But Henry says someone in town has a connection to my birth family. He supposedly sent you a wire with information because he doesn’t want me poking around alone.” 

Nathan grinned. The annoyance in her tone was so familiar. She had always chafed a little at Henry’s overprotectiveness. “Well, let’s head to my office quickly so I can resettle in, if you don’t mind, and then we’ll head over to the Mercantile to see if there are any telegrams waiting for me.”

Christine nodded, and followed the man into the Mountie’s office that doubled as a jail. She looked around at the jail as he hung his stetson and set his gloves on the desk. He picked up a sheet of paper that had been left there. “It seems I have quite a few messages waiting for me at the Mercantile. Ned dropped me a note telling me to come by when I get a chance. I suppose looking through the rest of my paperwork can wait.” 

Nathan left his stetson on it’s hook and walked to the door, holding it open until Christine had made it through. 

“So do you like living in Hope Valley Nathan?” Christine asked her friend as they crossed the street. 

“I do,” he said with a smile. “For the first time since I took her in, I feel like Allie has a real home.”

Christine nodded. “Yes, Elizabeth has said the most wonderful things about being a member of this community over the years. Her father was pretty against her sticking around here when she first left home, but he’s been reassured time and time again by the way the town has rallied around her. He’s finally warmed up to it, even if he does still want Charles Kensington as his son-in-law.” 

Nathan gave her a quizzical look, but before he could say anything, they had arrived at the Mercantile and he was pulling the door open for her. Christine walked through and stepped up to the counter. “Hello, I don’t suppose you have any telegrams for Christine Delaney?” 

A middle-aged gentleman with a receding hairline smiled at her. “Let me check for you, ma’am. One sec.” Before he could turn completely, he saw Nathan follow behind her. “Oh, Constable, you’re back. I have a couple of telegrams for you, and a package.” 

“Thanks, Ned. I don’t suppose you could check for Miss Delaney’s telegram before you get my things, could you?” 

Ned looked at the tall mountie with the hint of a question in his eyes, but complied with his request. “Are you new in town, Miss Delaney?” he asked as he rifled through a stack of envelopes. “Ah! Here we are!” he exclaimed before she could respond. He held it out to her. 

“Thank you so much, Mr. … Uh…” 

“Yost. Ned Yost. Pleased to meet you, Miss Delaney.” Ned shook her hand before turning back to the mail organizer behind his counter. “Now, Constable, let’s see… here we go. Your telegrams. And your package is… aha. Here you go.” The older gentleman handed Nathan a large envelope and a small stack of telegrams. “Is there anything else you need?” 

“I don’t think so. Christine?” Nathan responded, waiting to confirm before returning to the office.

“Not at all, thank you Mr. Yost.” Christine smiled at the gentleman, although his eyebrows had raised at Nathan’s use of her first name. “I’m ready if you are, Constable.” 

As the pair walked out the doors and into the street, Christine gave Nathan an amused but annoyed look. “You know tongues will be wagging that you suddenly have a very _familiar_ out of town female visitor.”

“What?” It clearly hadn’t registered with Nathan that he’d used her given name in the mercantile. 

Christine smiled at her friend. “It’ll be all over town by dinner that there’s an unmarried woman in town who is clearly not a relative, who you are well-enough acquainted with to use her first name. People will definitely talk.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Christine. I didn’t even think about it. No one cares about that sort of thing in Athabasca Landing, so it didn’t even occur to me here.”

Christine chuckled. “I don’t really mind. But I do wonder what Elizabeth will think when she hears.” She winked at Nathan. 

The surprise on Nathan’s face at Christine’s comment and wink was comical. “What?”

Christine laughed. “Oh please. You really think I didn’t notice the looks between you two this morning?” 

Nathan looked sheepishly at her as he held the door open to the jail. “I mean, I wasn’t sure there _were_ looks between us this morning.” 

Christine wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained out of affection. “Of course there were. She was giving them just as often as you were. Did you really not know?”

Nathan shrugged as he unfolded his first telegram. “Things have been… uncertain between us lately. Well, always, really. They’ve changed a bit recently, but for the most part, still uncertain.” He looked down at his telegram. “Oh Henry.” He chuckled. “Your brother is a good friend, Christine.” 

She smiled. “I know. He’s a good brother too. Annoyingly overprotective sometimes, but a good brother nonetheless. You know he’s a father now? Well, a step-father. But he and his wife are expecting, so he’ll be a father in September.” 

“Wow. I had no idea. I had heard that he got married, but I didn’t know more than that.” Nathan said with a grin. “I’m happy for him. That’s really wonderful.” 

Christine nodded and turned her attention to the telegram in her hand. It was from Henry. It read: “Nate has info. Brother in HV. Love from all. H.” She looked up to see Nathan tearing open the thick envelope. “Henry says that my brother is in Hope Valley and that you have the information.” 

Nathan nodded. “Yeah, my telegram said the same. And I guess this envelope has the information you’re looking for.” He skimmed the letter on the top of the page. “Oh, interesting.” Christine started to fidget. “Huh. I never knew.” He put the letter down on his desk and started flipping through the other documents. Christine immediately grabbed the letter from his desk and saw her brother’s familiar handwriting:

“Nathan,

“It’s been a long time. I hope you’re doing well. I heard about Colleen; I’m so sorry for your loss. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Chrissie. If you and your niece need anything, I’m in Benson Hills these days. Also, you may not know, but my cousin Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton has lived in Hope Valley for several years now. She’s a good woman--I know she’d be there for you like I would.

“As you know from my telegram, Chrissie’s coming to see you in Hope Valley. She’s looking for her biological brother (I’m sure she’ll tell you the story), and I think he’s there. Dad and I did a little digging and found Christine’s birth certificate, and her last name is listed as LaMaye. So, I looked a little more and we tracked down every other LaMaye born in Athabasca Landing within ten years of Christine. There were only a couple, and one of them was a Kevin LaMaye. I think he’s Chrissie’s brother. After the fire, he moved here to Benson Hills to live with his aunt Allison Townsend and he changed his name to Kevin Townsend when she died a few years ago. Apparently, he moved to Hope Valley not long after and now works as a blacksmith. 

“I was hoping you would share that information with Christine and go with her to talk to him. I know she’ll be annoyed with me, but I want her to be safe. And if her hopes get up, I’m glad she’ll have someone who knows and cares about her to support her.

“I’ve enclosed all the paperwork I uncovered, as well as a couple of conversations I had with locals here who knew Kevin and his family.

“Thanks so much for looking after Christine. I know she’s in good hands with you.

“Mother and Father send their love, as do my wife Amber and her son Danny. A lot has changed since we last saw each other. I hope we get the chance to catch up soon.

“Best,

“Henry Delaney, Constable NWMP”

Christine smiled at the letter. It was so very Henry. Filled with affection not quite spoken. Saying exactly the right thing to explain, and not a word more. She looked to Nathan. “Do you know this Kevin Townsend?”

Nathan’s smile was all she needed for her excitement to build.


	2. Settling In

“I know Kevin pretty well, actually. Unfortunately, he’s out of town at the moment. Apparently he’s visiting family.”

Christine felt her excitement dissipate as she slumped in her chair across from Nathan. “Talk about irony,” she quipped. 

Nathan laughed. “Don’t fret. He’s supposed to be back in a couple days. Do you have somewhere to be in the next week?”

Christine felt her shoulders tense and she looked determinedly at the clock on the wall behind him. “No. I was sort of fired from my job? I guess? I may have quit. I’m not entirely sure. Either way, I am currently unemployed, which was really convenient timing for this search.”

She felt Nathan’s eyes on her, and she shrugged. She met his eyes, and she saw his concern there. “It’s a long story. I was engaged to the son of the boss. Until irreconcilable differences came to light, or rather finally got through to me, and I realized how unwise a marriage to Boyd would be. Needless to say, his father wasn’t wild about keeping me on his staff, nor was I terribly excited at the idea of staying on to watch Boyd flirt with the other girls in the office.” 

She saw the concern become compassion. “I’m so sorry, Christine. That’s so painful.” 

She felt tears forming in her eyes from the kindness of her old friend who she felt so safe with. “Do you mind if we change the subject? Or better, would you be willing to help me get my things from the saloon and take them to Elizabeth’s?” 

Nathan nodded as he handed her a handkerchief. “Of course Christine. Let’s go.” 

She took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes carefully as she gathered up Henry’s letter, her telegram, and her handbag from her lap. She took a deep breath as she stood and handed the handkerchief back to Nathan. He pocketed it and the pair walked in companionable silence to the saloon. 

That was something she had always appreciated about Nathan: he never had trouble being silent. He didn’t feel compelled to fill the air with noise just because. That was something they had in common. When Christine first met Nathan, she had been drawn to that aspect of his personality. It had helped them develop a very comfortable friendship. It was a friendship she and her family all cherished. 

When they arrived at the saloon, Nathan held the door open for her again. “Thank you, Nathan,” Christine said with a smile. As she walked through the door, her eye was caught by the proprietor staring at them. “Do you mind if I go up to get my bags alone?” she asked. “If you were to accompany me, well, I fear the rumors would be far worse.”

Nathan nodded. “Of course, Christine. Whatever you need.” 

Christine hurried up the stairs and to the room she had rented. She packed up the few things she hadn’t put away that morning and picked up her suitcase, carrying it out of the room and down the stairs into the main hall. 

When she reached the foot of the stairs, Nathan was waiting with a smile. He held out his hand and took her bag without a word. She smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I’ve got to return the key and settle my bill. Give me a moment?”

Nathan nodded, so she stepped purposefully over to the bar where Lucas was once again straightening bottles, just like last night. “Excuse me Mr. Bouchard,” Christine said gently. “I’d like to settle up with you.”

Lucas looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Of course, Miss Delaney. Although there’s nothing to settle, except for you to return your key. Elizabeth paid your bill last night. She also told me to remind you what your mother would say about making a fuss over someone else’s generosity.” 

Christine grinned. She was going to make a fuss about it, and Elizabeth clearly knew her too well, in spite of the distance in their growing up years. “Well, thank you.” She noticed that Lucas had yet to smile at her. “Are you okay?”

Lucas’s countenance soured a little bit. “You seem very familiar with Constable Grant.”

“Oh yes, he and my brother trained for the Mounties together. And my father was Nathan’s commanding officer while he was stationed in Athabasca Landing. Nathan and I go way back. He’s like a second brother.”

Lucas’s expression didn’t look quite so unpleasant after that. “I see. Well, I hope your stay at the Queen of Hearts was satisfactory, Miss Delaney.” 

She smiled warmly at him. “It certainly was Mr. Bouchard. Thank you.” 

He nodded as she walked back to Nathan. “I’m ready to go if you are.” 

“Of course.” And the pair walked in comfortable silence to the Thornton residence.

* * *

After Nathan escorted Christine back to Elizabeth’s house, she insisted that she needed a bit of time to rest, and since Laura didn’t mind having her around, Nathan left her there and returned to work. He headed back to the jail to fill out an incident report about the investigation he helped Gabe with. 

When he finished his report, it was almost time for school to let out. So he figured it was worth the time to walk Allie home from school before he went out on his rounds. It helped that he would get to see a particularly lovely school teacher. 

Nathan started out toward the school and saw Christine heading the same way. He picked up his pace so he could catch up to her. “Christine!” he called, hoping not to draw too much attention to them. Luckily, there weren’t many people around at the moment, and Christine was the only person to pause and look at him. She waved and waited for him to catch up to her. 

“What are you doing heading toward the school at this hour, Constable? Expecting trouble as the students leave school?” she called out with a knowing grin and her eyebrow raised, clearly teasing him. 

“I just thought I would walk my niece home before I do my rounds,” Nathan said with a smile, intentionally acting overly innocent. “What else could I possibly want?” 

Christine just laughed as he caught up with her. It certainly made Nathan glad to hear her laugh. What Christine had told him earlier in the day about her broken engagement explained the sadness he had seen in her eyes since she arrived. He loved her and her family as though they were his own, and he was a bit worried about her. He was glad she would be staying with Elizabeth for the time being, though. It seemed like the cousins were also dear friends, and he knew Elizabeth was really good at helping people. 

He heard her cow bell as he and Christine neared the stairs of the building, and suddenly they were surrounded by students of all ages. The woman beside him gasped. “Oh my.” Then she chuckled. “They sure are fast, aren’t they? And there’s a lot of them.” 

“There certainly are. It’s pretty amazing how well Elizabeth handles herself in her classroom.” 

Suddenly, Nathan’s attention was caught by his niece talking animatedly with Harper and Anna. “Yeah, we should definitely go fishing sometime soon. I bet Uncle Nathan would even teach you how to clean the fish if you want. He taught me last year for my birthday.” 

“Eww,” said Anna, swinging her blonde hair over her shoulder. “I don’t want to clean the fish. But it would be fun to go fishing this weekend for sure.”

“Yeah, I’m in,” Harper added. “And I definitely want to learn how to clean the fish. My dad told me he would teach me when I got older, but he can’t anymore.” The boy’s face fell. 

“Well, I think that’s a great idea,” Nathan joined in on the kids’ conversation. “I think a fishing trip on Saturday sounds like a lot of fun. We can make a day of it, fry up whatever we catch and have a picnic lunch there by the water.” 

“Uncle Nathan!” Allie exclaimed, just now seeing her uncle. “I knew you’d think it was a good idea! Can we invite Miss Delaney, too?” Allie turned to her friends. “Mrs. Thornton’s cousin Miss Delaney is in town, and she and my uncle have been friends for a loooong time. Isn’t that right, Miss Delaney?” 

Nathan was worried about what Christine would think of Allie’s comments, but she just smiled as bright as ever. “It certainly is. Your uncle saved my brother’s life a long time ago, and he and I have been friends ever since. And, if I’m invited, I would  _ love  _ to come fishing on Saturday. There’s nothing quite like a fish freshly caught and freshly fried.”

When Nathan looked up from his rather precocious niece, he saw the object of his affection standing at the top of the stairs, holding her cowbell and watching the group. “Mrs. Thornton!” he called, waving. Elizabeth waved back and smiled faintly at him. 

“Afternoon, Constable. I see you’re escorting my dear cousin around still,” she said with a hint of humor in her voice. 

“We just happened upon each other on our way to the school. I wanted to walk Allie home, and I guess Miss Delaney had the same thought for you.” Nathan gave his best attempt at a charming smile, but wasn’t too sure if he had succeeded. 

“Excuse me, kids. I should talk to Mrs. Thornton,” Nathan heard Christine say. “It was lovely meeting you both, Anna and Harper. I look forward to Saturday.” Christine stepped up the stairs and pulled her cousin into a warm embrace. “Elizabeth, I think my brother lives in Hope Valley!” 

“Oh Chrissie, that’s wonderful!” Elizabeth exclaimed. She smiled at Nathan over Christine’s shoulder, and Nathan smiled and nodded back before turning away to walk Allie home. 

* * *

That evening, Christine insisted on treating Elizabeth to dinner somewhere in town. “I want to celebrate the fact that I’m closer to knowing my biological family than I ever have been. Not that I don’t _love_ Mum and Dad. You know that I love them. But to know someone who shares my blood--I didn’t think it was possible, and then suddenly it was. It’s exciting. And terrifying. But exciting!” Christine babbled. 

Elizabeth smiled. “I can see how eager you are to meet him. And I would love to celebrate with you. But I should probably find someone to watch Little Jack before I just agree. He goes to bed pretty early still. I imagine Rosemary and Lee would be happy to, but let me check with them before I just assume.” 

Christine took a deep breath. “Of course. I don’t want to totally disrupt your life, Elizabeth.” 

“Oh don’t be silly! You’re not disrupting my life! It’s a joy to have you! It’s been too long since I last got to spend any time with you!” her cousin reassured her. “I’ll check with Lee and Rosemary right now, if you want to settle in a bit.” 

* * *

Elizabeth knocked at the Coulters’ door, and sure enough, Rosemary was quick to answer it. 

“Elizabeth! I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to know if you’re okay!” 

“If I’m okay?” Elizabeth stared at her excitable friend. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” 

“Oh Elizabeth, you haven’t heard?” 

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “Haven’t heard what?” 

“That Nathan has a visitor from out of town--a  _ female _ visitor!” Rosemary emphasized the word female and then reached out and pulled Elizabeth into a hug. “I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you, but they’ve been gallivanting all over town together. It seems they’ve been friends for a very long time and they’re  _ quite  _ familiar. He called her by her first name! In public!” 

Elizabeth chuckled as she pulled away from Rosemary. “I take it back. I have heard about Nathan’s female visitor.”

Rosemary’s eyes widened. “Elizabeth! It’s not funny! Florence has been saying that they were  _ very  _ familiar in the mercantile this morning and Molly saw him carry her bags out of the saloon this afternoon! It seems she’s staying with him and Allie! How improper! I even saw them myself as they walked past the dress shop!” Rosemary was working herself up. 

“Rosemary, calm down,” Elizabeth said in her gentlest teacher voice. “I can explain. Or--” she paused suddenly, “I actually have a better idea. Come with me.” And Elizabeth pulled Rosemary through the open doorway, down the porch, and over to her own house. 

“Elizabeth, what are you doing?” Rosemary protested. 

“I’m giving you the opportunity to learn the truth behind the rumors.” Elizabeth pulled her friend up the steps to the porch of the Thornton residence and then through the door. “Rosemary, I would like you to meet my cousin, Christine Delaney, an old friend of Constable Nathan Grant.” Elizabeth gestured over to her cousin who was sitting on the settee holding a book that she had clearly been reading before being startled by their unexpected and somewhat loud entrance. 

Christine stood. “Hello,” she said calmly as she walked over to meet Rosemary. 

“Christine, this is one of my dearest friends and my next-door neighbor, Mrs. Rosemary Coulter.” 

“It’s such a pleasure, Mrs. Coulter,” Christine said with a smile. “I’ve heard lovely things about you, between Elizabeth and Nathan.” She held out her hand. 

“Oh, it’s lovely to meet you, dear. And you can just call me Rosemary.” She took the proffered hand and shook it warmly. 

“And you should just call me Christine.” 

Elizabeth turned to her cousin. “Do you mind if I tell Rosemary what you’re doing in town?” She looked at Rosemary with a straight face and one eyebrow raised. “I’m sure she’ll keep it to herself if you tell her why you want your privacy.” 

Christine smiled. “Of course, Elizabeth. If you trust her, then I do too.” 

Elizabeth reached out and squeezed her cousin’s hand. “I do trust her, Chrissie.” She looked at Rosemary. “Christine was adopted by my aunt and uncle, but she recently learned that her biological brother may be living here in Hope Valley.”

“Oh, how exciting! A family reunion! Who’s the fellow?” Elizabeth could see that Rosemary’s enthusiasm was a bit jarring to Christine, so she gently led Rosemary to the door.

“Don’t you need to get back to Lee, Rosemary? I’ll walk you over.” And she practically pushed Rosemary back down the steps and down the road to the Coulter home. 

“What was that about, Elizabeth?” Rosemary looked put out. “I was just being friendly!” 

“I know you were, and I’m glad. But Christine is exhausted and is a bit shy. Really energetic strangers can be a bit much for her. But I know she’ll be happy to spend some time with you later. And when she’s finally met her brother, I’ll tell you who it is, but just to be safe, it might be best that you not know for now.” 

Rosemary scoffed. “I can keep a secret, Elizabeth!” she exclaimed as the pair walked into the Coulter house. 

Lee laughed from his seat in an armchair. “You sure about that, Rosie?” 

“Hmmpf.” 

“Hi Elizabeth. You wanna tell me what’s going on?” Lee asked his neighbor. 

“Well, my cousin is in town staying with me, and I was wondering if you two would be willing to watch Baby Jack while she and I go to dinner. It’s our first chance to really spend quality time together since she got to town.” 

“Of course we’d be happy to, Elizabeth. What are friends for?” Lee said with a smile. 

“Thank you so much! You two are the best friends I could ever ask for!” Elizabeth said, beaming. “Would you mind coming over in about half an hour?” 

“We’ll be there,” Lee said with a smile before refocusing his attention on his newspaper. 

“But Elizabeth!” Rosemary exclaimed. “Just because she’s your cousin doesn’t mean she and Nathan aren’t romantically involved!” 

“What?” Lee exclaimed. “Nathan and Elizabeth’s cousin? Why would you think they’re involved?”

“Oh Lee, I’ll explain it all to you later,” Rosemary waved away her husband’s questions. “Elizabeth, they’ve known each other a very long time, and they clearly care a lot about each other. It  _ is  _ possible that they’re romantically involved. So  _ please  _ be careful. You don’t want to end up heartbroken because the man you prefer is now attached to your cousin.” 

Elizabeth sighed. “Rosemary, first of all, I don’t think Nathan and Christine are romantically involved. Chrissie just recently broke off her engagement to another man. This doesn’t strike me as the moment she would begin something new. Second of all, who says I prefer Nathan? Who says I prefer anyone?” 

“Oh Elizabeth, I’m not blind. It’s obvious things have cooled between you and Lucas, especially after the incident with the young man who died a few weeks ago.” Elizabeth blushed at her friend’s comments. “And a woman in a vulnerable state emotionally very well  _ could  _ attach herself to another man. So just be careful.” 

“I’ll be fine, Rosemary. Even if Christine and Nathan are together,  _ which I doubt, _ ” she emphasized. 

But even as Elizabeth walked home and got herself ready for dinner and got Jack ready for the Coulters, she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Rosemary might be right this time. 

* * *

Half an hour later, Elizabeth and Christine made their way over to Abigail’s Cafe for dinner. “Now Elizabeth, I’m buying. Especially since you went behind my back and paid for my stay at the saloon.” 

Elizabeth laughed. “Fair enough. Although I did it because ideally you would have stayed with me.” 

“It doesn’t matter. If you didn’t already live in this town, I would have had to pay for my accommodations anyway.” 

“Okay, I get it,” Elizabeth acquiesced. “I won’t fight you about dinner.” 

“Good.” Christine smiled as Elizabeth led her into Abigail’s. The atmosphere was charming and comfortable. “Oh, this place is lovely.” 

“Yes, I’m quite fond of it. On our first outing Jack took me here.” 

A young woman with dark curly hair and expressive eyes waved at the pair. “Sit anywhere, ladies! I’ll be right there!” 

“Thanks, Clara!” Elizabeth called as she sat down at a nearby table for two, before continuing her reminiscence. “Abigail, the proprietress, was a dear friend of ours, and she helped Jack by setting it up with candles and flowers. And she closed the cafe down for the evening so we could have the space all to ourselves. He brought me a corsage and had some of my older students help serve. We ate and we talked and we danced,” Elizabeth sighed as she stared dreamily off into space. “It was perfect.” 

Christine couldn’t help feeling envious of her cousin, but she did her best to ignore the feeling. After all, Elizabeth may have found true love with a godly man, but he was taken from her far too soon, and that was nothing to envy. Although clearly Elizabeth and Jack’s love was deeper and more honest than anything that had ever been between herself and Boyd. 

“He must have loved you very much. I’m sorry I never met him.” Christine gave her cousin a sad smile, but Elizabeth didn’t look at all sad. 

“I am too. I know you would have loved each other. But I’m glad for the time I did have with him. And I have my beautiful son to remember him by.” Her smile brightened. “I am so blessed.” 

“You really are, Elizabeth. We both are. You found love with Jack and again with your son, and I was given a family when mine was gone. Or, so I thought.” Christine felt her eyes water a bit, although she wasn’t sure what emotion was behind it. 

“Oh Christine. I’m sorry about your family, but I am  _ so glad  _ that you became a part of mine. And I’m excited for you to meet Kevin. I hope you two get to know each other really well and spend a lot of time together.”

“Thanks Elizabeth, me too.”

“So I was thinking about what you might want to do this weekend. Kevin’s not expected back until Monday, so I thought maybe I could show you around on Saturday.”

“Well, Nathan and Allie invited me to go fishing with them and a couple of Allie’s friends on Saturday morning. I thought by then you might want a break from me and I really wanted to spend some time with Nathan, so I said yes. I hope that’s okay.” 

Elizabeth’s face clouded for a moment, but brightened so quickly Christine thought she had imagined it. “Oh. Yeah. Of course. That sounds like a lot of fun. And Allie was so excited to meet you this morning. She was telling everyone at school all about you. I’m sure she would love to get to know you better.” 

“Well she seems like a great young lady. She looks like her mother.”

“You met Colleen?”

“Just once. She came to Athabasca Landing once before she got married and Nathan brought her over to meet Mum and Dad. She was really friendly. Much more talkative than Nathan. After her visit we used to tease him that she somehow got all the words in the Grant family. He always just rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut, which, really, proved our point.” 

Just then, the dark-haired woman from before walked over with two glasses of water. “Hi there, sorry to keep you waiting so long. Bill is making a mess of my kitchen, and I had to step in.”   
  


“Clara, this is my cousin Christine Delaney. Christine, this is my very dear friend Mrs. Clara Flynn.” 

“It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Flynn,” Christine smiled as she stood to shake the young woman’s hand. 

“Oh, I will  _ never  _ get tired of being called Mrs. Flynn,” she exclaimed, “but any friend of Elizabeth should just call me Clara.”

“Clara just got married a couple months ago,” Elizabeth explained as Christine retook her seat. “Abigail is her mother-in-law from her first marriage.” 

“Yes, and when she left to take care of her ailing mother, she left me in charge of the Cafe. Which means I sometimes have to protect it from Bill, her business partner.” 

“Well, it’s great to meet you Clara.”

“It’s great to meet you too. Now, here are some waters, do you ladies want anything else to drink? We have lemonade, coffee, and tea.” 

“I don’t think so, Clara. I’m okay with just water.” Elizabeth said. 

“Yeah, me too. Thank you, though.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be back in just a minute to take your order. Ned’s been trying to get my attention for a couple minutes now and I need to check in.” 

“Okay, no problem!” 

As Clara hurried away to see to another customer, Christine turned her attention back to Elizabeth. “So would you tell me about Kevin?”

“Well, he’s the local blacksmith and he does a great job. He’s really good with horses and kids. He’s been here a couple years now and is really friendly. He gave Jesse, Clara’s husband, a job when he needed work and has recently started spending more time in the library. He’s a good man. Of course, there are a lot of those in this town.”

“You mean like Nathan Grant?” Christine asked, attempting to convey an air of innocence. 

“Oh,” Elizabeth looked a bit startled at the question. But her expression moved quickly from surprise to delight to uncertainty or even concern and then to a careful neutral. Christine was confused at the range of emotion she saw. “Yes, Nathan is a good man. And you’ve known him a long time; you would know better than I.” Her tone was a bit stilted, and realization dawned on Christine. 

“Elizabeth, did I tell you what happened between Boyd and me?” She saw her cousin’s brow furrow in confusion.

“You wrote to me afterwards and told me that you realized that your different priorities were pulling you apart. You said you were losing sight of what was most important, your faith and your family, and that you needed to heal and make sure your roots were deep and secure before looking for love again.”

Christine nodded at her older cousin. “Yes. Boyd wasn’t a good man, and he wasn’t the right man for me. He didn’t respect my boundaries, physical, spiritual, or otherwise. He didn’t respect my faith and he treated my values and morals with contempt. But I loved him. And that relationship isn’t something I’ll easily get over.” 

“Why are you--” Elizabeth began, before being interrupted by Clara’s return to the table. 

“So, can I get you ladies something to eat?”

“Can I get today’s special? It smells delicious!” Elizabeth said. 

“What is the special?” Christine asked. 

“Pot roast with potatoes and veggies and a biscuit,” Clara said confidently. “It’s really one of the best things Bill makes.”

“Ooh, that sounds fantastic. I’ll get that too.” 

“Two specials coming right up,” Clara said as she dashed back to the kitchen to pick up her coffee pot and tell Bill their order. 

“What were we talking--oh right. Why were you telling me about Boyd?” Elizabeth asked, the crease in her forehead returning. 

“I was telling you that Boyd was a very big part of my life until recently. A not very healthy part of my life, but still a significant one. I won’t be jumping into anything any time soon.”

` “I’m sorry you were so hurt by him,” Elizabeth said in a reassuring tone, “but I’m sure that you’ll heal and come out from the experience as a stronger woman. And Lord-willing, you’ll find the right man for you.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Elizabeth. But the point is, I haven’t found him yet,” Christine tried to be clear with a pointed stare. 

“I don’t know what you’re getting at Chrissie,” Elizabeth said as she took a sip of her water. 

“I think you do, but if you want me to, I’ll spell it out. I’m not interested in Nathan Grant. I can imagine the rumors you’ve heard, but I assure you there’s nothing in them. He’s more like a brother to me than anything else.”

Elizabeth’s cheeks grew rosy. “I don’t know why you’re telling me that, but it’s good to know.” 

“Oh please, Elizabeth. It’s been clear since the moment I saw you two together that there are some mutual feelings between you.” 

“Well, perhaps. It’s… complicated.” Elizabeth shrugged. “He asked me to dinner once, but there was an accident that same afternoon and it shook us both up. And he hasn’t mentioned it since. I don’t know if he’s still interested in courting me.”

Christine rolled her eyes. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. You deserve a man who’s going to speak up, Elizabeth, and make his feelings known. But hold him to a high standard and give him some time, and I’m sure Nathan will get there.” 

Elizabeth laughed. “Well, whether he gets there or not, I’m glad to know that I can still love again. It doesn’t matter if it’s Nathan or Lucas or someone else entirely.” 

“Lucas? As in Bouchard?” 

“It’s a long story. And I want to hear all about how your family is! Henry is  _ married!  _ And expecting a baby! And how are Uncle Wynn and Aunt Beth?”

Christine gave a conciliatory smile. “Fine, but don’t think you’re getting out of telling me eventually.” She took a sip of her water. “Henry is doing so well. He’s really happy. He got married last year to a woman he met while working in the Northern Territories-Amber. She was actually married to a Mountie before Henry, who was her son Danny’s father. She’s really wonderful. She was a bit hardened by the loss of her first husband. She felt that she had to become self-sufficient for the sake of her son and her own safety. She didn’t really let people in, and she was a little overprotective of Danny. It took her a long time to trust Henry, but eventually he won her heart. And Danny’s. And now they’re expecting a baby in September! I really hope they have a little girl. I would just  _ love  _ to have a niece to spoil! They’re still talking about names, but they refuse to tell us what they’re considering. I think they want it to be a surprise.

“As for Mum and Dad, they’ve been visiting the communities they lived in early in their marriage when Dad gets time off, and at the moment they’re actually visiting Uncle Philip and Aunt Lydia in Pine Springs, which is where Mum was teaching when she met Dad. In her last letter Mum mentioned seeing some of her old students and meeting their children, which she said was bittersweet. But none of her students forgot her, which is unsurprising to me but seems to have surprised her a great deal.” 

Elizabeth chuckled. “I can imagine. Aunt Beth is one of the gentlest, humblest, most patient women I know. She would never expect to be remembered. But I can understand the bittersweetness of it all. Several of my students have grown up and moved away. I miss them and pray for them often, but it would be strange to see how they’ve changed.” 

Just then Clara brought over two plates with steam rising from them. 

“Oh, this smells wonderful, Clara!” Christine exclaimed. 

“Let me know if you need anything else,” the server said with a smile as she placed them in front of the diners. Then she flitted away to take the order of a newly seated customer. 

“Let’s eat!” Elizabeth exclaimed. 


	3. A Reunion

On Christine’s second full day in Hope Valley, she went with Elizabeth to spend the day at school. She set herself up in the back of the classroom to the left, where Elizabeth assured her she would be out of the way. 

As Elizabeth prepared to ring her cowbell, she looked at her cousin. “I’m going to introduce you to the kids before we begin the arithmetic lesson, Chrissie. All you have to do is stand up and wave, maybe say hello. But then you can hide in the back all morning. I warn you though, several of them will probably approach you on their own either before the school day begins or when I let them out for lunch and recess.” 

Christine nodded. “I know, and I would love to meet them. I just don’t want to stand up and talk in front of the class. They’re so used to having an expert orator, I would be embarrassed for them to see my attempt.” 

“I’m sure you would be wonderful, but I understand. Don’t worry about it.” Elizabeth reassured her cousin. Then she stepped out of the building and onto the stairs and rang her bell. “Children! Time for school!” she called to the crowd of students milling about in the grass outside of the building. 

Immediately, a stampede of students raced into the classroom, depositing jackets and lunch pails on the hooks in the back right of the room. Christine watched with simultaneous nervous anticipation and amusement as students made their way to their seats. Several students gave her curious glances, so she smiled at them as friendly as she could manage. And then Allie walked in, her head held high. She looked over and saw Christine, and her face lit up. Christine was surprised to realize that she felt gratified at the girl’s excitement. 

“Miss Delaney!” she exclaimed! “I’m so glad you came to school today!” Still holding her lunch pail, Allie skipped over to Christine. 

“It’s good to see you Allie. How are you today?” Christine asked confidently, despite feeling the stares of the other students. 

“It’s really good to see you, Miss Delaney. Are you going to teach us something today?” 

Christine gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m not quite as talented standing up in front of people and talking as Mrs. Thornton, so no. But I am here to observe and to meet everyone. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Mrs. Thornton’s students over the years, I’m excited to finally meet you all.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Allie reiterated, just as Elizabeth cleared her throat. 

“Alright, everyone, take your seats please! It’s time to get started,” she called in a gentle but adamant tone. 

“I better go,” Allie whispered as she scampered across the room to hang her lunch pail before moving quickly to her seat. 

“Before we begin, I have an announcement for you all. My cousin Miss Delaney is visiting for a few days and is going to be joining us here at school today. Can we give her a Hope Valley welcome?” 

All of the students turned to look at Christine, and as she stood up to say hello, they shouted in unison, “Welcome Miss Delaney!” 

Christine smiled at the exuberance of the young voices. “Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be here today and meet you all!”

“Miss Delaney grew up in the Northern Territories, so she knows a lot about wildlife and the cultures of the indigenous tribes she lived near. And she was a secretary at a big company in Calgary until just recently when she took some time off work for personal reasons. She has a lot to offer, and I strongly encourage you to take the opportunity to meet her personally while she’s in town.” Christine felt her face flush a little. The way her cousin described it, she was the most knowledgeable person in town, which was of course not true.

“Now, let’s begin our arithmetic lesson. Eyes up here, please!” Slowly, each student turned his or her gaze back to Elizabeth, and Christine felt her nervousness leave her. She relaxed back into her chair and let herself enjoy watching her cousin masterfully hold the attention of so many students. 

* * *

Right around noon, Elizabeth picked up her cowbell. “Alright students, put down your workbooks. It’s time for lunch.” She rang the bell in her hand, and immediately the room was filled with young voices chattering animatedly to each other. 

Several students looked at Christine and introduced themselves on their way out the door. 

“Hi Miss Delaney, I’m Timmy.”

“I’m Robert.”

“I’m Opal.” 

One girl with dark hair and big blue eyes actually stopped and walked over to her. “Hi Miss Delaney. I’m Emily. How are you?”

“I’m doing well, Emily, thank you for asking. How are you?”

“I’m good. I’m excited for recess. Anna brought her jump rope and we’re going to take turns seeing who can jump the most.” 

“Well that sounds like fun. My friends and I used to jump rope too. I used to be quite good.” 

“You should come try, then!” The girl’s eyes shone with excitement. 

Christine laughed. “It’s been a long time. Maybe another day.” 

“Okay. Will you come watch at least?” 

“Well, Mrs. Thornton and I were going to chat for a bit during lunch, but I’m sure we can watch for a little while, too.”

“Great!” And with that, Emily skipped off to the school yard.

“So what did you think of your first morning at the Jack Thornton School?” Elizabeth asked, strolling over from the front of the classroom. She carried a basket on her arm and a thermos in one hand. 

“Elizabeth, you are an amazing teacher. And I know, because I was raised by one,” Christine replied as she stood up. 

Elizabeth’s smile broadened. “That is the best compliment I could ever receive, because Aunt Beth really is the best teacher in Canada.” 

Christine hugged her cousin. “I mean it, too. You are so good with them.” 

“Well thank you!” Elizabeth smiled and then led Christine through the door and out onto the porch, where the pair watched the children eating, sitting, running, playing, and whatever else children do. “Are you ready for lunch? I packed us roast beef sandwiches.” 

“That sounds delicious!” 

“Miss Delaney, it’s my turn, are you watching?” Emily called from the circle of girls near the school. 

“Absolutely, Emily!” Christine called back with a wave. 

“We both are!” Elizabeth added. 

“Good!” Emily shouted, and began to swing the rope. 

“It seems my students have already taken a shine to you, Chrissie,” Elizabeth said with a small grin. “Are you sure you don’t want to take some time to give them a lesson about something? You could do a lesson on language or culture. Or if that’s too much, teach them about identifying different kinds of berries or bugs or animal tracks. We could even have a field trip, go out into the woods and do some exploring. Although, Nathan might not be too crazy about that after last time.” She chuckled softly to herself before explaining. “I may have gotten myself and the students into a bit of a pickle the last time we went on a field trip.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” 

“Let’s just say Nathan and I got into a pretty big argument that made things pretty awkward for a little while. We discussed it later, though, and we’re all good.”

“Well I’m glad you made up.”

“Me too.”

“You know, I have an idea for a lesson the students might be interested in.”

“Oh yeah?” Elizabeth asked, turning her eyes from Emily’s jumping to look at Christine. “What might that be?”

“What about the creatures that live in the lake? It’s not just fish and worms, there’s plantlife and there are snails and turtles and all kinds of things that you don’t see when you go fishing for an hour.” 

“That sounds like a fantastic lesson, Christine! And does that mean that you’ll be willing to teach it?” Elizabeth looked hopeful. 

“Well, I might be willing to co-teach it, if you could convince the beloved town Mountie to assist.”

Elizabeth blushed. “I bet he would do it if  _ you  _ asked him,” she said. 

“But I  _ know  _ he would prefer the request from you.” 

* * *

After school, Elizabeth and Christine decided to walk into town to see if Nathan might be willing to help with Christine’s lesson. 

As they neared Nathan’s office, they passed Clara walking with another woman Christine didn’t know, with curly brown hair cut fairly short and a skirt that hit just above the ankle. 

“Elizabeth, Miss Delaney, how are you?” Clara asked with a smile. 

“Oh just call me Christine. I feel silly being called Miss Delaney by friends of Elizabeth.”

“Of course, Christine.”

“I’m Fiona,” the other woman said with a smile as she held out her hand. 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Fiona.”

“You too, Christine.”

“So where are you ladies headed?” Clara asked with a smile.

“Oh, Elizabeth needs Nathan’s help with something for her students,” Christine responded with a smirk.

“That is not true,” Elizabeth retorted quickly, but Clara and Fiona just grinned. 

“Oh really?” Fiona said with a knowing look in her eyes. “Well,  _ Nathan _ is actually in the cafe at the moment, enjoying a nice cup of coffee.” 

“We’re just coming from there,” Clara explained. 

“Oh, well I guess we should head that way then, shouldn’t we?” 

“Just to be clear, Christine needs Nathan’s help with something for the students,” Elizabeth said as Christine pulled her away from the other two women. 

They just laughed. “Well, have fun, whatever you’re doing!” Fiona exclaimed. 

“It was nice meeting you!” Christine called over her shoulder, and she saw Fiona smile and wave back. 

“I can’t believe you said that to them,” Elizabeth moaned jokingly. “It’s going to be all over town by supper.” 

“They’re your friends! It’ll be fine!” Christine waved away her cousin’s concern. 

“I’m friends with most of this town. That doesn’t mean the gossip is any less about me than it ever was.” 

Christine just grinned. “Well, it’s not like it’s not true,” she said with a grin and a shrug as the duo stepped up to the cafe. Christine opened the door and held it open for Elizabeth. 

“Thank you,” her cousin said, and then stopped in her tracks when she saw Nathan. “Um, Christine. Maybe wait out on the porch for a moment?” 

“What? Why?” Christine immediately followed her in and saw what Elizabeth was looking at: Nathan sitting at a table with a man whose back was to them. “Who is Nathan with?” 

“That’s Kevin.”

“Oh my.” Christine took a deep breath. Her hands were suddenly shaking. “Well, I don’t really want to meet him somewhere this public.”

“I know. So step out and I’ll go talk to them? Or you could just go to Nathan’s office. I’ll bring them both over in a few minutes?” Elizabeth suggested gently.

“That’s a good idea, Elizabeth. I’ll go to Nathan’s office and wait there.” Christine was in a bit of a daze, but managed to make her way over to the jail and have a seat at Nathan’s desk. She waited anxiously for what felt like an eternity, until she finally heard footsteps outside. The door squeaked as it swung open, and then in walked Nathan, Elizabeth, and presumably Kevin. 

Christine stood. “Hello.” 

The man she assumed was Kevin smiled at her. It was like looking in a mirror. Although their coloring was so different, their faces were very similar: his smile, his nose, the shape of his eyes. “Hi. I’m Kevin  _ LaMaye _ Townsend.” He held out his hand to her. 

She shook it. “I’m Christine Delaney, but I recently learned that I’m a LaMaye too.” 

Kevin exhaled quickly. “This is crazy. I remember playing on the carpet with my baby sister. I grew up thinking she was dead. And now here you are.” 

“I know you two must have a lot to talk about,” Nathan said quietly. Christine had forgotten that he and Elizabeth were there. “Elizabeth and I will step out for a few minutes to give you some privacy. Christine, everything Henry sent is in my top left drawer.” 

“Thank you, Nathan.” Christine smiled at her friend before turning her gaze back to Kevin. “I can’t believe I’m meeting you.” 

“Neither can I. You look like me. You’re my sister. But I don’t know you.” 

“I know.” Christine felt tears well up in her eyes. “My whole life I’ve wondered about my birth family, and now I’m standing in front of you and I know nothing about you.” 

“Well, let’s change that. Let’s get to know each other.” 

“I’d like that.”

“Do you want to start by telling me how you found me?” Kevin asked as he took a seat on the other side of Nathan’s desk. 

“An old neighbor from Athabasca Landing had some of our mother’s things and so went asking around for us. The pastor who brought me to my adopted parents heard from her that you ended up with our aunt and reached out to me. I was in Benson Hills by then, staying with my adopted brother and his wife. He and my father are both Mounties, so they did some digging.” She paused and opened Nathan’s desk drawer, and sure enough there were the documents Henry had sent. “Henry, my brother, told me to come to Hope Valley and that he would send along the results of his search to the local constable. This is what he sent.” She handed him the stack of papers, with Henry’s letter on top. 

She waited as Kevin read the letter and then began flipping through the documents. “Wow, your brother is thorough. I can’t believe he managed to get Mrs. Sanderson to talk to him; she was my old Sunday school teacher, and she’s gotten so cranky.” 

“Henry is a really good investigator.” Christine shrugged, feeling proud of her brother and also very protective of her relationship with him. “And he’s been a really good brother.” 

“I can tell that he loves you a lot from his letter to Nathan.” 

Christine was relieved to see no hurt or resentment in Kevin’s eyes. “What about you? Tell me about your family?” 

“Well, our aunt Allison and her husband Sam took me in when I was about five years old. They already had a son Stephen, who was eight. I had a pretty happy childhood. Aunt Allison was a good mother, although she wasn’t a very good cook. She was a phenomenal seamstress, though. Give her a needle, some thread, and a couple yards of fabric and she could sew anything. Uncle Sam handled a lot of the cooking. And Stephen was a fine brother. We weren’t very close for a long time, but Uncle Sam got sick and died when I was eighteen. 

“I was apprenticing with the blacksmith in Benson Hills already and had moved out, but Stephen was still living with them on their farm. When Sam got sick, I took a break from my apprenticeship and moved back, and the rest of us took turns caring for him. That experience really bonded Stephen and me. Then Aunt Allison passed a couple years ago, too. They were good people, and I was really lucky to grow up with them.”

“They sound wonderful. I wish I had gotten to know them,” Christine said wistfully. 

“Me too. But tell me more about your family,” Kevin prompted. 

“Well, like I mentioned before, I was raised by a Mountie and his wife, Wynn and Beth Delaney. They couldn’t have any children of their own, so they cared for children in need of a home at various times before adopting my older brother Henry. He’s about ten years older than I am and was adopted a lot later in life than I was. His family was horrible and abandoned him when he was about eleven. Wynn and Beth adopted me about a year later, when I was two. I had a very happy childhood. Henry was the ideal big brother. He teased me a little bit, taught me how to fish, and was always very protective of me. When I got engaged last year--” Christine felt her cheeks go red when she inadvertently revealed a source of deep shame to her newfound brother. “I, well, um…” she stumbled over her words. “I didn’t mean to mention that.” She looked down at her shoes. 

“I know I’m your brother, but you barely know me, Christine. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to yet.” 

“Thank you,” she said with a watery smile. She didn’t know what else to say, so she looked at the clock on the wall. “Oh my, is it really 5 o’clock already? I imagine Nathan will be wanting his office back, and Elizabeth will be working on supper.” 

“Well, let’s see if we can find them. And maybe you and I could spend some more time together tomorrow?” Kevin asked as he held out his arm to her. 

“I would love that,” Christine nodded as she took his arm and they exited the jail to find their friends. 

* * *

After Nathan led her out of the jail, Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure what to say or do. “So, what is Kevin doing back so soon? I thought he wasn’t supposed to be back for a couple more days?” she wondered aloud. The pair began walking aimlessly down the street. 

“Yeah, but I guess his brother’s mother-in-law showed up unexpectedly, and Kevin thought it would be less stressful for them if he headed home early. I caught him hopping off the stage, thought I would get him to meet me at your house after school. My plan was to get him to agree to meet me half an hour after I left him so I could find you and prepare Christine.”

“It sounds like a good plan, if only she hadn’t decided she needs your help with a lesson she wants to teach the children and we hadn’t come to find you.”

“Oh,  _ she _ needs my help with a lesson? As I recall, Christine was never very fond of public speaking. Are you sure it’s not someone else who might need some help with a lesson, Mrs. Thornton?” Nathan joked, and Elizabeth’s face went red. 

She chuckled. “It really  _ is  _ Christine who thought you could help her co-teach the lesson, but I would be  _ very _ appreciative for the help, too.” 

“Well in that case, I suppose I’ll have to say yes.” 

“Thank you very much, Constable, I appreciate it.” Elizabeth smiled at Nathan, and they stopped walking. She looked up at him, and his eyes were so expressive and gentle and blue. She felt her pulse quicken and her stomach flip. 

His admiration for her was obvious in his eyes, and her face warmed even more as they held eye contact for a moment. 

“Elizabeth,” he began slowly, as if he was savoring the words before speaking them aloud. “You matter to me. You’ve become an important part of Allie’s life and my own. I don’t want to overstep your boundaries, but I think very highly of you, and I would be honored if you would allow me to court you.”

Elizabeth felt her stomach flip again, and she smiled at him. “I would very much like that, Nathan. You and Allie are an important part of my life too.” 

The two stood together in silence for a moment, smiling widely at each other, until Fiona walked by and cleared her throat. “Right, it was Christine who needed the constable,” she snickered. 

Elizabeth and Nathan each stepped away from each other and she once again felt her cheeks warming. “Uh, hi Fiona,” Elizabeth said, embarrassed to have been seen so close to Nathan. 

“I’m glad you found Nathan, so the question is, where’s your cousin?” 

“She’s talking to Kevin in the jail. They have some personal business to attend to, and Nathan and I thought we would give them some privacy.” 

“Oh, I didn’t realize they knew each other,” Fiona said, a slight crinkle forming in her forehead. 

“Yes, they’re... very old acquaintances who lost touch many years ago.” Elizabeth said, unsure how much she could reveal of her cousin’s business.

“Huh.” 

“Well, it’s about 5, I might head back to the house so I can send Laura home. When they finish, do you mind walking Christine over? I don’t want to leave her alone in town,” Elizabeth said to Nathan. But before he could respond, they saw the door of the jail open, and out walked Christine and Kevin, arm in arm. Christine waved excitedly, and Elizabeth couldn’t help but wave back. 

“Are you ready to head home for dinner Christine?” she called as the pair made their way over to where Nathan, Elizabeth, and Fiona were standing. 

“Can you believe it, Elizabeth? I finally found him!” Christine exclaimed. 

“Of course you did, Chrissie,” Nathan said. “Wynn and Henry Delaney are two of the best investigators out there. If anyone was going to find him for you, it was your father and brother.”

“So, how do you two know each other?” Fiona asked. “Elizabeth said you’re old friends?” 

Christine and Kevin looked at each other and smiled. “Actually,” Kevin responded, “Christine is my baby sister. I thought she died in the fire that killed our parents, but it turns out she was alive all along.”

“Wow, it’s incredible that you found each other,” Fiona said with a sincere smile. “That’s fantastic.”

“It’s a miracle,” Christine sighed. “But I’m exhausted.”

“Yes, and I need to get home and feed Jack some dinner,” Elizabeth added. “We should get going.” 


	4. Getting to Know Each Other

“I’m so glad it’s Friday,” Christine said the next morning as she, Elizabeth, and Jack sat down for breakfast. 

Elizabeth smiled. “Me too. There’s something very refreshing about the weekend.” 

Christine gave her cousin a closer look. “You seem awfully happy for a regular school morning. Even a Friday morning. Do you want to tell me what happened?” 

Elizabeth blushed. “No?” she said after a moment. “I love you Chrissie, and I trust you explicitly. But for a little bit, I just want to enjoy it alone, to cherish it, if only for a few more hours.”

“Fair enough. But I suggest you not walk into school looking like a love-sick teenager, or all of your students will be asking what’s wrong.” 

Her cousin spluttered on her cup of tea. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she exclaimed. “I’m not acting like a love-struck teenager! I’m just excited to see what the day brings!”

Christine grinned. “I won’t pry, because I know you just asked me not to, but I will say that whatever it is that’s making you so happy makes me really happy too. I will also say that from what you’ve told me about Rosemary Coulter, you might want to avoid her until you’re ready to talk about it.”

Elizabeth laughed. “You’re probably right about that.” After a moment, she changed the subject. “So, you met Kevin. How did it go?” 

“Oh Elizabeth, it was so strange. It’s funny, because we look alike, we have the same eyes, the same nose shape, but he’s a stranger to me. But he said he remembers playing with me in our parents’ home. I can’t believe it. But he seems very kind and respectful. I’m excited to spend some more time with him today.” 

“I can imagine. Do you know what you’re going to be doing?” 

“No, but he asked me to meet him at the livery this morning. I don’t really care what we do, I’m just excited to spend some time with him.” 

“I understand that. You spent so many years apart, not knowing the other was still alive. I would want to spend time together too, regardless of what we were doing.” 

“I’m really looking forward to it. You don’t mind me skipping school today?” 

“Of course not! Get to know your brother! Consider it your homework for the week!” 

Christine laughed. “Yes ma’am, Mrs. Thornton! I’d better get on it right away!” 

* * *

After breakfast, Christine made her way into town to find the livery. As she was about to walk through the door, someone stepped out from the shadows and she gasped in surprise. She immediately took a step back to give whoever was trying to leave some space. 

“Miss Delaney, I’m sorry for catching you off guard again.”

“Mr. Bouchard.” Christine smiled and took a breath. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I keep jumping when we see each other.” She looked into his warm brown eyes. “What are you doing here so early?” 

“Oh, my horse threw a shoe last night, so I was hoping Kevin could fit me in today, since I have some business in Benson Hills tomorrow and I can’t borrow a car.” 

“I see. What business do you have in Benson Hills? If you don’t mind my asking, of course.” Christine blushed. She realized how forward she was being, particularly after being so uncommunicative herself about her business. 

“I don’t mind. I need to place an order for liquor. I’m not thrilled with the whiskey I’ve been stocking, so I’m looking into a couple of new distilleries.” He smiled. “Are you familiar with Benson Hills at all?” 

“Very much. I lived there for a few months after I lost my job in Calgary, to help my brother and his wife settle in. He was given his post there right around the time that I lost my job, so it was perfect timing. And then I went back to Athabasca Landing to stay with my parents for a bit before coming here.”

“Oh yes, I remember you mentioning that the morning I walked you to Elizabeth’s. Your brother’s a Mountie.” 

“He and my father both. I’m very proud of them.” 

Lucas nodded and gave a wry grin. “A very honorable profession. Well worth your praises indeed. So what are you doing here so early? If you don’t mind my asking.” 

Christine shook her head slightly. “Oh, no, I don’t mind I suppose. After all, I asked you. It’s only fair that you reciprocate. I’m here to see Kevin. Personally, not professionally.” She was embarrassed at her bumbling attempt at a response.

“I see.” His tone became quite formal. Lucas’s eyes clouded a bit, and his shoulders went stiff. Christine realized what her response must have sounded like. 

“Oh, no, you misunderstand,” Christine sighed. “I promise, I’m not a promiscuous woman here to seduce all the men of your town. The rumor mill here needs to give me a break. Nathan and I are old friends, and that’s all. And Kevin is my long lost brother,” she blurted out, and then realized what she had said. She blushed a deep crimson. “Oh, I wasn’t going to tell anyone until we had talked about it. Please, Mr. Bouchard, keep that to yourself? I don’t know if he wants people to know, or who he wants to tell.” 

She saw a spark of mirth in his eye. “Miss Delaney, I will be most discreet. I assure you that your confidence will be kept. I shan’t speak a word of this to anyone else.” 

“Thank you. I so appreciate it.” 

“Of course. I suppose I should let you go and see him.” 

Christine nodded. “I suppose I should go, yes. I’ll see you around, Mr. Bouchard?”

“I am certain you shall. And please, call me Lucas.” He smiled and nodded at her as he began to turn away. 

Christine hesitated a moment before smiling in return. “Then please call me Christine.”

“Have a nice day, Christine.” 

The man turned and walked down the street without another word, and Christine took a deep breath. What an interesting man. Friendly and charming, Christine felt sure he could woo any woman he liked. She rolled her eyes at her own silliness. “Don’t be ridiculous, Christine. You’re here to get to know Kevin, not break your heart all over again.” So she squared her shoulders, raised her head, and walked confidently into the livery. 

“Kevin? Hello?” she called, walking into the unfamiliar space. Although she had been in many a livery in her 25 years, she was still a little nervous walking in. After all, not only was this new territory for her, she was also coming to see a brother she had only met once before. She heard horses neighing and snorting, and the smell of fresh hay put her at ease. She felt the tension ease from her shoulders. “Kevin?” She heard a grunt and moved toward the stalls near the back of the livery. 

When she got the last stall, she saw that it was larger than the others, and she saw him on a stool beside a horse with a light coat. He was holding one of her hooves in one hand and a hoof pick in the other, cleaning out the hoof. 

“Good morning Kevin!”

“Good morning, Christine. I’m sorry for the hold up, but I have to get this done before we start our day.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I understand. This is Lucas Bouchard’s horse?” she asked from outside the stall. 

“Yep, this is Soleil. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” 

Christine sighed as she leaned against the stall door. “She’s gorgeous.” 

“She’s strong, but really gentle, too. You can come in and pet her if you want,” Kevin said with a smile before turning his attention back to the hoof in his hand. “I’m sure Lucas wouldn’t mind.” 

Christine shook her head. “He might not, but I still won’t. I’ll stay out of your way so you don’t get distracted. Is there anywhere to sit around here?”

“I’ve got a small office where I keep paperwork and the like. It’s on the town-side of the building to the right. There’s a desk and chair you can sit at.”

“Perfect, I’ve got a book to read. Just come get me when you’re ready for me. But take your time. I’m in no rush.” 

Kevin chuckled. “You and Elizabeth are certainly related, even if not by blood. I don’t think she’s ever come by here without a book to read too.” He shook his head. “I’ll come get ya when I’m done.” 

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Kevin had finally finished up with Soleil and cleaned up a bit, so he stopped in the doorway of his office. “So, are you ready to go?” 

Christine immediately stuck her bookmark in her book and closed it. “Where are we going?” she asked as she stood up and placed her book back into the basket she carried with her. 

“Absolutely everywhere,” Kevin said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. “I would love to introduce you to the whole town, if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Of course, I would love to meet the town that you love,” she nodded. “I warn you, I’ve met a few of them, and have already set tongues a’wagging a couple days ago when I first got to town.”

“Yeah, I did hear about Nathan’s mysterious female visitor.” Kevin laughed. “It’ll be good to introduce you around as my sister. Then it’ll change the gossip as people learn the truth.” 

“Well, that sounds like a good plan. I’m willing. Where do we start?” 

“If the goal is to change the gossip, we start with the telephone operator. And then for good measure, we go to the dress shop.” He smirked a little. 

“I trust you. Let’s do it.” Kevin held out his arm to Christine and she took it. “So who exactly is the telephone operator?” she asked as they stepped onto the streets of Hope Valley. 

“Her name is Florence Blakely, and she spreads gossip like nobody’s business around here. Honestly, it isn’t really gossip until Florence has gotten wind of it.” 

Christine laughed. “There used to be a woman in the office like that: Penny Thompson. Honestly, that girl could take the most mundane things and use them to fuel the rumor mill for weeks. She talked so much about me and…” Christine trailed off, not wanting to talk about Boyd. 

Kevin didn’t ask, but let her trail off in peace. Instead, he said, “So you worked in an office. What was that like?”

“It had its good moments and its hard ones. But I enjoyed getting to know the other girls. There were twelve secretaries, and while some of them could be a bit difficult to deal with, I became good friends with a couple of them. Susan Vass and I still keep in touch a bit. She just got married, actually, to a man she met when she came to church with me one Sunday right before I left Calgary: Benton. He’s very kind and loves the Lord, so I’m happy for her.” 

“So the Delaneys are serious about their faith?” Kevin asked. 

“Very. It sustained them through their hardest times, like learning that they couldn’t have children of their own and being stationed in places where Mum was cooped up all alone for weeks on end during the winter. And it increased their joy in the sweet moments of life, like adopting Henry and me, and building friendships in unusual places. What about your family? Were the Townsends devout believers?”

“Not so much when I was growing up. We only attended church on Christmas and Easter, or whenever there was a wedding or a funeral. But when Uncle Samuel got sick, he started having us read Scripture to him. After he died, all of us started taking our faith a little more seriously. That’s the one complaint I’ve had about this town, actually: we haven’t had a full time pastor since right after I got to town. Supposedly the new guy, Pastor Zeke, is here for the long haul, but right after he performed the Flynn’s wedding ceremony, his folks got sick and he had to leave town, and I haven’t heard when he’s coming back.” 

By the end of Kevin’s thought, they had arrived at the mercantile. Kevin pulled the door open and held it for Christine as she entered. She smiled at the man behind the counter, but before she could say anything, he excitedly pulled Christine up to the counter. “Ned, this is my baby sister Christine Delaney.” 

“Miss Delaney and I have actually met already, Kevin, but I didn’t know she’s your sister.”

“Pardon me, but her last name isn’t Townsend?” a woman with fair skin and dark hair pulled into an attractive updo asked from a small nook to the left of the counter. 

“Florence! This is my sister. Our parents died when we were very little and we were adopted by different couples, each couple believing that the other child had died.”

“Oh, how tragic. But what a miracle that you’ve been reunited in adulthood,” she said with a smile. “Miss Delaney, I’m Florence Blakely,” she added as she held out her hand and stepped toward Christine and Kevin. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Christine responded as she shook the woman’s hand. “I’ve heard so much about you and the town; I’m excited to spend more time here, getting to know it and my brother.” She smiled at Kevin. 

“Well, I hate to introduce you and run, but I have a couple of other people I want to introduce her to this morning, so we’re going to be on our way.” 

“Of course, Kevin. Say hello to Fiona for me. Tell her I miss her at the switchboard,” Florence remarked with a knowing smile. 

Kevin blushed at Florence’s comments. “I’m not sure we’ll be seeing her, but _if_ I do, I’ll be sure to pass on your message,” he answered, looking a bit flustered. 

Kevin and Christine then stepped out of the store, and as soon as the door was closed, Christine turned to Kevin. “Fiona, huh? The same Fiona I met yesterday, who you announced our relationship to very proudly last night?”

Kevin shrugged, clearly trying to keep a smile off his face. “Fiona and I are good friends. I enjoy her company.”

“Oh really. Is that all?” 

“Well… everything I just said is true. If there’s more to it than that, well, we’re still figuring it out. I mean, I’m not entirely sure there _is_ anything more.”

“Okay. Have you asked?”

“... not yet…” 

“I’m not exactly an expert in this area, but that seems like a good place to start. Ask her to dinner or something.”

“We’ve known each other for two days, and you’re already telling me what to do,” Kevin joked, and Christine just smiled and shrugged. 

“I’m not trying to tell you what to do, I’m just telling you what I would tell Henry in the same situation. Or Elizabeth. Or Nathan. After all, you are my brother.” 

Kevin smiled. “I appreciate the advice. Now let’s change the subject. Who have you met in town so far?” 

“Well, I’ve met Rosemary Coulter, Nathan Grant and I go way back, I met his niece Allie and a couple of her friends, Clara Flynn and Fiona, although she didn’t tell me her last name. Oh, and I met Lucas Bouchard when I stayed at the saloon my first night in town.” 

“Okay, you’ve met a lot more people than I expected. Did you tell any of them about me?” 

“I told Rosemary that I was here to meet my brother, but I didn’t say who. And I accidentally told Lucas this morning.” At Kevin’s surprised expression, Christine blushed faintly and shrugged. “He startled me and I startled babbling like a fool and it slipped out. I’m sorry.” 

Kevin laughed. “I don’t care if you told everyone! Although I am glad you didn’t tell Rosemary. If you had, she might’ve managed to tell me about you before you and Nathan could get to me.” 

Christine chuckled too. “Yeah, I definitely got that sense of her. But Elizabeth wouldn’t let me tell her, even if I had wanted to. I didn’t want to tell anyone until I had met you.” 

“I’m glad. I think it was good for us to meet before involving anyone else.” 

“Me too. But now I’m excited to tell whoever you please.”

“Well, we’re here!” Kevin pulled open the door to the dress shop and Christine walked in. She was a little surprised to see Rosemary at a desk, working on a sketch. 

“Oh, hello Rosemary! Do you work here?”

“Christine! How are you today? Did you meet your brother yet?” Rosemary exclaimed enthusiastically, standing abruptly from her work. 

“As a matter of fact, I did.” 

As Christine spoke, Kevin walked through the door, and Rosemary gasped. “Kevin Townsend? The blacksmith? Oh! I should have seen it! You look so alike!” 

Christine nodded. “I thought so too. Meeting him for the first time felt weirdly like looking in a mirror.” 

“Well, I’m very happy for you both. Did you need something from the shop?” 

“I just wanted to introduce Christine around town, let her meet people, you know,” Kevin replied, smiling fondly at his sister. “I’m pretty excited to discover that she’s still alive, so I want to share it with the town.” 

“Well, I’m sure everyone will be quite pleased to meet your long-lost sister, Kevin. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some work to do.” Rosemary collected her drawings from the desk and stepped into the back room. 

Kevin and Christine exchanged glances that consisted of raised eyebrows and indulgent smiles, and they stepped out of the shop. “She’s quite a lady,” Christine remarked when they had made it a little ways down the street. 

Kevin laughed. “She certainly is. And it takes a pretty amazing man to be married to her. Her husband Lee runs the saw mill. Jesse, one of my closest friends, works for him there. I would take you there too, but I figure they’ve got a lot on their plate this week. Apparently they’ve got a big order to fill. Really, there are several people I would love for you to meet, but this isn’t exactly an ideal moment for a lot of them. So, how about we walk to the edge of town and then around the pond? Then we can get some lunch?”

“That sounds perfect.” 

* * *

About an hour later, Kevin and Christine were coming around the pond when an older man with sandy hair, calculating eyes, and a tanned face ran over to them. “Kevin!” he called urgently. “My horse threw a shoe, and I need to get on the road! I’ve got a trial in Buxton this afternoon!” 

Kevin turned to Christine. “I’m so sorry, but that’s Bill, a regional judge. I’ve got to take care of this.”

Christine smiled. “Of course. How about I go wait for you somewhere and then we can have some lunch?” 

Kevin sighed. “I would love that, but Bill’s horse can be a bit ornery, kinda like it’s owner, and it might take me a while. You should go ahead and get something to eat. I don’t want you to wait on me. Have you eaten at the saloon yet? The chef is brilliant.” 

“I haven’t, but I’ve heard good things. Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you?” 

“Positive. Go enjoy some goulash and your book. I’ll meet you there when I’m done.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.” She waved him off, so Kevin started jogging back to town. 

He waved over his shoulder before he met the judge on the road and continued to the livery. 

“So, lunch at the saloon,” she said aloud to herself. “Glad I have a book.” She walked at a leisurely pace, enjoying the fresh air of the small town, watching the people milling about, smiling at each other. “This really is a lovely town.” 

When she arrived at the saloon, it was a bit crowded, but she didn’t mind. After all, crowds in Hope Valley are nothing compared to the crowds of Calgary, and she’d lived there for a year. There was an empty table in the corner, so she set down her book there and then stepped over to the bar. Lucas was there, pouring drinks, so she waited patiently for him to notice her. After refilling a couple of drinks, he saw her and came straight over. 

“Christine, how are you?”

She felt a bit flustered at his use of her first name, but only a few hours before she had invited him to, so she knew she shouldn’t be. 

“I’m doing well, thank you. I am a bit hungry, and I’ve heard good things about your chef?”

Lucas beamed, and Christine thought she’d never seen a more attractive man. And then immediately scolded herself for the thought. “Gustav is brilliant. Do you know what you want to eat?”

She shook her head and felt her curls fall into her face a bit, so she pushed them behind her ear as she said, “I have no idea. What’s best?” 

“Well, I am partial to the goulash myself, but the coq au vin is quite popular too.” 

“Oh, my mother makes a coq au vin to die for, so I might just have to see if your chef does it better than she does.”

“Perfect, one order of the coq au vin. Anything to drink?” His confident smile gave her a fluttery feeling in her belly. 

“I don’t suppose you have tea?” she asked, doing her best to ignore the feeling. 

“Hot or iced?”

“Hmm. Iced,” she said decisively. 

“Perfect, I’ll bring it over to you in a moment.” 

“Thank you, Lucas.” 

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away, so Christine did her best to walk calmly and confidently back to her table. When she got there, she immediately picked up her book, and suddenly she was worlds away. 

* * *

Lucas was pleasantly surprised to see Christine Delaney, the lovely cousin of the school teacher, twice in one day. But as soon as he caught his thoughts moving in that direction, he quickly stopped them. If Elizabeth wasn’t interested, he didn’t know why he thought Christine ever could be. Of course, he barely knew her, so he didn’t know if _he_ was even interested. He knew he probably shouldn’t be, though. He saw a deep pain in her eyes not unlike what he once saw in Elizabeth’s; whatever her story, he knew it was sad. And apparently he wasn’t meant to be the redemption arc of a sad story. But Christine Delaney was certainly a lovely woman. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy, even in spite of the sadness. And although she was a bit reserved, she was very polite, and she carried herself with an easy grace and comfortableness that was quite charming. He couldn’t call her confident exactly, but he wasn’t sure how much of that was her uncertainty in this new environment. 

But he refused to let himself dwell on these thoughts and instead refilled the drinks of other patrons until Gustav brought over Christine’s coq au vin. He then poured her a glass of iced tea and carried them both over to her table. 

“Miss Delaney, I have your lunch for you,” he said as he set down her bowl and glass with a flourish. “Are you all alone this afternoon?” he asked, suddenly realizing that Kevin was nowhere to be found. 

Christine gave him an unaffected smile that caught him off guard and left him almost breathless, a rare occurrence indeed. “I am. I guess there was a minor emergency with the judge’s horse and he has somewhere to be this afternoon. Kevin will meet me here when he finishes, but said it might be a while.”

Without a second thought, Lucas deftly pulled out the chair across from hers and said, “Well, I can’t leave you here to eat all alone. Would you like some company?” 

“Oh, I would love some company, but I don’t want to keep you from your work. Besides, I’m never alone when I have a good book.”

“Ah, you and your cousin are alike, I see. What are you reading?” he asked as he took his seat. She held out the volume to him. “Anne of Green Gables. I’ve heard of it, but haven’t read it. Are you enjoying it?”

Christine’s eyes immediately lit up and her expression and tone became quite animated. “Oh yes. It’s a beautiful story, about a young orphan girl who’s adopted by an elderly brother and sister. She’s a funny girl, always finding trouble, but she’s lovely. So relatable in some ways, although she’s much more confident and dramatic than I ever was at her age.” 

“It seems as though you’re quite taken with the story,” he responded, hoping she would keep talking about it. 

“So much! Anne finds herself in such ridiculous scraps because she lets her imagination run away with her. I just read a chapter where she finds herself stuck in the middle of a pond holding onto a support beam of a bridge because she insisted on acting out Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott” with her friends.” 

“Was she rescued?”

Christine practically beamed at him, and Lucas could feel his heart rate increasing. “Of course she was. By a classmate who is also her rival, Gilbert Blythe.” She sighed. “He’s so good. I hope she marries that boy when she grows up!” she exclaimed, and then blushed. Lucas couldn’t help but notice that her blush made her countenance even more lovely. “I’m sorry, I know how ridiculous it is to hope for a wedding between two fictional characters. I can get a bit carried away myself I suppose. But I know what it is to choose the wrong person,” she looked resolutely at her bowl, “so I can’t help but hope a young orphan chooses the right one.” She paused for a moment and looked back at him again. “Goodness, I’m sorry for rambling, you must think me quite silly.” 

“Not at all,” he said, filling his voice with much more warmth than he had realized or consciously intended. 

She brushed a piece of hair back behind her ear again and smiled more deeply, clearly feeling a bit self conscious. “So, I thought you were heading to Benson Hills today?”

Lucas nodded, “I’m going tomorrow. I spent this morning trying to figure out the oil industry, and now I’m here until the saloon closes.”

“The oil industry?” Christine’s eyebrows raised in question.

“I invested in an oil company a while back, but the man who was running the business made some mistakes and stepped down. So now I’m trying to figure out how to keep the business afloat. The second in command stuck around, so I’m trying to learn from him, but he was still learning himself.” Lucas shrugged. “I’ll figure it out eventually, but it’s a competitive market, so the sooner the better.” 

“I see. And do you like the oil industry so far?” 

“I’m not sure yet.” Lucas scratched his beard. “I’ve only been at it for a few weeks. There is something exciting about learning a new type of business, though.” 

“I suppose so,” Christine nodded and her curls bobbed along with her head. She took a bite of the chicken and smiled.

“Well? How does it compare with your mother’s?” Lucas asked with a grin. 

Christine gave him a coy smile. “It’s _almost_ as good as Mum’s.”

“I’ll pass that on to the chef.” He was going to say something else but saw Christine glance at something over his shoulder and wave. He turned to look, and saw Kevin strolling in. “I see your company has arrived, and I should probably get back behind the bar. Caroline looks like she needs a break.” He nodded politely at her, and headed back to work, feeling a little sorry that their conversation had come to an end. 

* * *

When Christine returned that evening from her day with Kevin, Elizabeth was reading a book on the sofa. “Chrissie, how was your day?” she asked promptly. 

“Oh Elizabeth, it was wonderful,” she sighed. “I really enjoyed spending time with Kevin. He’s so kind and respectful, but very funny. It seems like he had a wonderful childhood in spite of everything. Did you know he broke his leg as a kid trying to stand on a cow’s back? The cow bolted and he fell. He was about seven at the time.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I had no idea. And I’m glad you had such a good day.”

Christine collapsed on the sofa beside her. “Me too. I was worried that we might not get along well, but he’s perfectly wonderful. And he doesn’t mind that I’m spending tomorrow morning with Nathan and Allie. I think it’ll be good for us to take a break after today. It was good spending the day with him, but I don’t want us to get sick of each other.” 

Elizabeth nodded understandingly. “Of course. Now, did you and Kevin have dinner together? If not, I did save you a plate. I made shepherd’s pie.” 

“We did. We had dinner at the cafe.”

“Well, do you want a cup of tea or a glass of water or anything?” 

“I don’t think so. I’m going to write to Mum and Dad and then go to bed, if that’s alright.”

“Of course. I’m about to head to bed myself. Send Aunt Beth and Uncle Wynn my love. Oh, and if you need it, I have paper, pens, and ink in my desk drawers. You’re welcome to all of it.”

“Thank you. Good night, Elizabeth.” 

Elizabeth stood up. “Good night.” Her cousin made her way up the stairs and Christine moved to sit at her cousin’s desk with a lamp. She pulled out a pen and paper and began writing. 

“Dear Mum and Dad, 

“I miss you both so much, but my trip was well worth it: I met my brother! His name is Kevin Townsend, which I’m sure Henry has told you by now. He’s the blacksmith and he’s apparently very good at his job. And he and I have the same eyes! I love you both and Henry so much, you all are my family, but it’s so exciting to have a family resemblance with someone. I wish you could meet him; I know you would love him. We spent the day together today, and he took me around town and introduced me to people. He showed me his favorite spots and took me to dinner. I had a lot of fun and really got to know him and the town. It’s a lovely place. 

“Speaking of, did you know that Cousin Elizabeth lives in the same town? I’m staying with her and her beautiful son Jack. And Nathan Grant was posted here not too long ago either. It’s funny how small the world it is. It’s like I was supposed to come here, which, I guess I was. God’s plan is perfect and cannot be thwarted, as I know you love to remind me Mother. 

“Since I know that I’ve found the right person, would you mail me the things that my old neighbor gave to you that belonged to my birth parents? I think Kevin and I would like to go through it all together.

“I love you both so so much. I hope all is well at home! 

“Your daughter, 

“Christine”


	5. Making Decisions

The next morning, Christine woke up early to be ready for fishing with Nathan, Allie, and her friends. She put on a simple gingham dress, braided her hair and wrapped it around itself to form a bun at the nape of her neck, and tucked a hat into a borrowed picnic basket with her book and purse. Then she pulled on her sturdiest boots and stepped quickly down the stairs.

"Good morning, Christine! Are you ready for your outing with Nathan and company today?" Elizabeth asked from her station at the stove where she was scrambling eggs.

Christine smiled at her cousin as she stepped behind her to pour a cup of coffee. "I'm pretty excited, actually. I haven't been fishing in ages. You know Henry taught me how to fish? When I was around six, I think. It was always our thing. We used to go fishing together all the time before he joined the Mounties. It was our time to catch up, enjoy each other's company, be silent together. I miss it. And him. But I'm excited to go with Nathan and the children. Although I suspect that they won't be quite so quiet as Henry always was." After she poured her coffee and took a sip, she grabbed a few things she had arranged with Elizabeth to bring along on the fishing trip. She quickly packed them in her basket before taking her seat at the table.

"Very few of the children I've had the joy to teach are good at being quiet, so you're probably right. But I'm sure you'll have fun anyway. Anna, Harper, and Allie should make an interesting group. I don't know how Anna will handle it. She prefers to stick with her closest friends, and neither Harper nor Allie are among them. I'm sure she'll be fine, but maybe warn Nathan to keep an eye out?"

"I can keep an eye out, Elizabeth. I'll do my best to make sure she has a good time."

Elizabeth smiled gratefully at her as she scooped the scrambled eggs out of the frying pan onto two plates. "Thank you, Chrissie. I appreciate it. Not that it's my responsibility or yours, but I think it's important for the adults around to see to it that children feel cared for and safe."

Christine nodded. "I agree. And so I'll definitely watch out for her."

Elizabeth joined Christine at the table and said a quick prayer asking God to bless their food and their day. When she finished, Christine immediately began eating. But Elizabeth didn't. Instead, she tilted her head a little and looked at her cousin. "Chrissie?" she began.

"Yes, Elizabeth?" Christine paused, hearing the beginnings of something like concern or uncertainty in her cousin's voice.

"What are your plans?" Elizabeth was biting her lip and her eyebrows were scrunched together. "I mean for your time here. You're welcome to stay with Jack and me for as long as you like, but I'm wondering how long you had thought you would stay. I mean, you came to meet your brother-but now what? It could take you the rest of your life to get to know him. At what point will you go back to Athabasca Landing or Calgary or Benson Hills?"

Christine took a deep breath, tilting her head slightly too. "I don't know," she responded after a moment. "I never really planned that far ahead. I mean, at some point I want to settle down somewhere, and I had thought Calgary was the place, because of Boyd. And it helped that Uncle Jon and Aunt Mary were there too. But I don't think I can go back and live there permanently. There are too many painful memories. I don't know where I'll go next."

"Well-" Elizabeth began, carefully brushing her hair away from her face.

"Just say it," Christine encouraged. "You clearly have a thought. Just let me hear it."

"Well, what if you stayed in Hope Valley?" Christine could feel the surprise make its way across her face, with her eyes widening and her eyebrows rising, but before she had time to respond, Elizabeth continued. "I just think-you have family here: me, and now Kevin too. And Nathan is practically family, from the way you talk about him. There are new opportunities all over town, and it's as good a place as any to start over. Maybe better. People are good and kind here. They care about one another. I think you could use that in your life."

Christine was floored by Elizabeth's suggestion. Move permanently to Hope Valley? She'd never even considered it. But it made sense. It would be wise to move somewhere where she already had connections, and Hope Valley was close to Henry in Benson Hills. And she could get to know her brother much better, without feeling compelled to rush it. After a long pause, she smiled. "I hadn't considered it. But now I definitely will." She turned her eyes back to the eggs on her plate, but her mind was still spinning. There were downsides to Hope Valley, too. There isn't an established boarding house, which would mean she would have to live completely on her own for the first time ever. And she didn't have many skills that would prove marketable for a career in a small town like this. And Hope Valley is _so_ far from her parents and her beloved Northern Territories. She had always wanted to end up in the North Woods, not on the frontier.

"You don't have to make any decisions right away," Elizabeth said, her words pulling Christine from the tidal wave of thoughts crashing over her. "You looked excited and then terrified and then sad all very quickly," she explained at Christine's confused expression. She smiled. "Your face says _everything_ about your thoughts. I can read you like a book."

"Oh boy. I hope that's not true," Christine chuckled, considering all of the silly thoughts she'd had since coming to town.

"I've known you forever, so it's certainly true for me. But generally, you're a bit more guarded than you are sitting at my table and in my home. Now, you'd better hurry, you're supposed to meet everyone at the pond in fifteen minutes!"

Christine picked back up her fork, which she hadn't even realized she'd set down, and continued eating her breakfast, her mind still swirling with the potential of the future.

* * *

Christine arrived at the prearranged spot at the pond exactly on time, but was somehow the first to arrive. At first, she wasn't entirely sure she had found the right spot, but she decided to wait it out for a few minutes before traipsing off to find someone. She pulled _Anne of Green Gables_ from her picnic basket and looked around for a comfortable seat. She spotted a log a few feet from the dock that looked tolerably dry, so she quickly walked over. Just before she sat down, she heard a young voice.

"Miss Delaney!" a boy called as he walked around the pond toward her. "Hi!"

"Hello!" she called, abandoning her plan to sit and read. She carefully tucked her book back into her basket. "Am I in the right spot?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am! Sorry I'm a little late!" he called back as he picked up his pace.

"Don't worry about it! Take your time!" Christine responded, which of course prompted the young boy to walk even faster. She chuckled, thinking that Henry would do exactly the same.

She watched as the boy started jogging and nearly tripped on his fishing pole. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, his cheeks flushing.

"You don't need to rush, I'm the only one here so far, so you're not late yet!"

The boy nodded and slowed a little, but it still only took him a couple of minutes to arrive. When he arrived, he held out his hand to her. "Miss Delaney, we didn't meet properly the other day. I'm Harper, one of Allie's friends." He was a little out of breath, but Christine was impressed with the manners and eloquence of so young a person.

"It's lovely to meet you Harper. I'm excited to go fishing with you all today," Christine said, shaking his hand warmly. "I do wonder where the others are, though."

"Oh, well Anna's always late, and Constable Grant and Allie were going to pick her up on the way. So that's probably where they are."

"I see. So, what do we do in the meantime?"

"Would you tell me about growing up in the Northern Territories?" Harper asked, his eyes wide and glimmering with excitement.

"Only if you tell me about growing up in Hope Valley," Christine replied, completely charmed by Harper's enthusiasm.

"Oh, Hope Valley is great. I've had some hard times here, but I love it. It's home. My family moved here a few years ago so my dad could work in the Silverton mine. When we got here, we lived in a tent on the river, with a few other families. There was an accident at the mine, and my dad died. But everyone in town was so nice to us. That Christmas, Mrs. Thornton and Mountie Jack made sure all of us who were living in tents had a real house to live in. And when my mom tried to take me away, Pastor Frank came to talk to her and helped her not be so angry at God. So we stayed. And I have a lot of fun here. I have friends, and Mrs. Thornton is the best teacher I ever had. She's so nice and gives me help when I need it. She doesn't make me feel stupid or purposely embarrass me like other teachers."

"Mrs. Thornton is pretty wonderful, isn't she?" Christine responded with a smile. "I wish I had known Mountie Jack."

"He was great. Is it true that your dad is a Mountie? Allie said he is."

"Allie was right. My dad was Constable Grant's commanding officer at his first post after training."

"So that's why you grew up in the Northern Territories?" Harper asked, his eyes widening just a little.

Christine smiled fondly and nodded. "Yes. It was an extraordinary way to grow up. My earliest memories are helping Mum and Henry collect berries and herbs in the woods and praying for Dad's safe return each night. I grew up learning a lot about nature, both her beauties and her dangers from my parents and my older brother. We moved around a lot, so we got to meet a lot of interesting people. I learned the languages of several indigenous tribes we lived near. But my mother also made sure to teach us things like geography and history and science. And she insisted we read a lot. Even when we lived in places without a proper school, she still insisted we do our lessons. But we also lived in lots of more traditional places. Most of the time that we weren't in the Northern Territories, we were in Athabasca Landing or Calgary. Athabasca is where I met Constable Grant."

"Talking about me, are you?" Christine looked up from Harper to see that Nathan was walking towards her, the two girls a few feet behind him. She was surprised to see him, but apparently had been so caught up in her reminiscences that she didn't even hear him walk up. He was carrying several fishing poles and a small pail, and each girl behind him held a picnic basket, presumably with the necessary fixings for a picnic.

"I was just telling Harper here about growing up in the Northern Territories. It was a lovely way to grow up."

"I imagine that Wynn and Beth would have made your childhood a very special one even if you hadn't lived in the Northern Territories. You couldn't have been more loved by your birth parents." Nathan smiled broadly at her, and Christine couldn't help but nod.

"You're right, of course. And I'm so grateful to them."

"Miss Delaney, you were adopted?" Harper asked, surprised.

"Yes sir. My parents both died in a fire when I was very little, around little Jack Thornton's age. I don't remember them at all. But then Constable Delaney and his wife adopted me, just like they adopted my older brother a few years before. And I had a family again. And without the Delaneys, I might never have learned how to fish or tell the difference between a sparrow and a partridge. And I almost definitely would never have met Constable Grant or Mrs. Thornton or you, so I'm quite glad I was adopted by them after all."

"Wow. That's so cool."

"God does some pretty amazing things, even from horrible beginnings."

The girls finally reached the rest of the group, and Allie immediately put down her picnic basket and hugged Christine. "Good morning Miss Delaney!" she exclaimed.

"Good morning Allie, good morning Anna. Are we ready to start fishing?"

* * *

A couple of hours later, each of the children had caught at least one fish, and Nathan had patiently shown Harper and Anna (albeit hesitantly) how to clean the fish by removing the scales and the bones so it could be fried. Then, Christine pulled a few ingredients out of her bag and offered to show them her mother's recipe for frying the fish in the open air.

"She actually learned it from my Aunt Lydia before she and my father got married, but I've never tried Aunt Lydia's, so to me it's always been my mother's fried fish."

She showed them how to coat the fish in the flour and spices and dip it in the egg before putting it in the hot oil. Then, after everyone's fish was cooked, they squeezed a little lemon juice over the top.

"Miss Delaney, this smells amazing!" Harper said excitedly.

"I'm glad you think so, Harper! I hope it tastes just as good!" Christine replied with a smile.

"It smells _just_ like Beth's, so I'm sure it will, Christine," Nathan commented.

"Anna, would you help me put a piece on everyone's plate?" Christine asked, holding out a stack of plates to her.

"Sure thing, Miss Delaney!" the girl responded with a shy smile. As promised, Christine had been keeping an eye on Anna for Elizabeth, and had noticed how ill at ease the girl looked. She thought perhaps giving her a familiar task would make her more comfortable and give her some purpose.

"Nathan, thank you again for setting up a makeshift table for us. I can eat without a table easily, but cooking without one is quite a challenge," Christine said with a quick glance and smile at Nathan before returning her attention to her picnic basket.

Nathan shook his head. "It was nothing, really. Glad to be of service, though."

"Allie, would you hand this," Christine handed Allie a large bowl full of rice mixed with veggies, "to Anna to put some on everyone's plate, please?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"And Harper, Constable Grant brought a picnic blanket, would you lay it out for everyone? It won't be very comfortable to try to eat at such a low table standing up."

After a few more quick moments of work, the group settled down to eat.

"This is delicious!" exclaimed Harper excitedly. "I can't believe I caught, cleaned, and then cooked a fish today!"

"Me either," Anna said with a quick shake of her head. "I am not much of a fish cleaner, though. I think today was enough. If I never have to clean a fish again, that's fine by me!"

Allie laughed. "That's okay, Anna! I'll clean your fish for you next time!"

"Christine, it's fantastic. Just like your mother's," Nathan said over the children's chatter amongst themselves.

"Nathan, that's the highest compliment I could ever receive. Thank you," Christine responded, immediately wondering when she would next see her mother and what she might think of the possibility of staying in Hope Valley more permanently.

"What's bothering you?" he asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Of course not, Nathan. I'm just missing her is all. I could use some of her motherly advice," Christine responded wistfully.

"Well if you want a sympathetic ear, I can do that, although I don't give motherly advice very well."

Christine chuckled and nodded at her friend. "I appreciate it. I'll let you know if I need one."

* * *

After her fishing expedition and lunch with Nathan and the children, Christine was ready for some alone time. So she returned the borrowed picnic basket to Elizabeth and cleaned the dishes they had used before taking off on her own for a nice, long, contemplative walk.

She headed into the woods, careful to follow the trail that Kevin had pointed out as being safe and a relatively easy walk when he took her on their tour. As she walked into the woods, Christine felt a lightness in her soul. Nothing could refresh her spirits quite like a solitary stroll through God's creation. She saw beautiful tall trees standing firm, their leaves rustling in the wind. There were a few small yellow flowers growing in the brush near the path as she walked, and she smiled at their persistence in growing without much light or space.

As she walked, she pondered what it would look like for her to settle more permanently in Hope Valley. She would need to find a place to live and work, and she should probably discuss it with Kevin as well.

After a few minutes of walking, Christine heard something or someone ahead of her, walking towards her. She looked up from the ground and saw the handsome saloon owner walking towards her.

"Oh hello!" she called amiably.

This time, it was Lucas who was startled. He started, his eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Christine. When he recognized her, he laughed. "I suppose it was your turn to startle me. Good afternoon Christine."

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. "I _know_ that you're supposed to be in Benson Hills today. You've told me twice now."

Lucas smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm flattered that you remembered. And I already went to Benson Hills. I rode out early this morning and got back right after lunchtime."

"And did you find any whiskey you like better than your current stock?" she asked, remembering what he said about his trip to the city.

His smile widened, and Christine felt her heart rate increase. "I did. I'm surprised you remembered."

Christine shrugged and blushed a little. "I have a bit of a knack for remembering things people tell me. It's not a big deal."

"Well, it means a great deal to the people you remember. It makes them feel seen." Lucas paused for a moment, and Christine thought she saw affection in his face, but then he quickly changed the subject and the expression was gone. "What are you doing walking alone through the woods?"

"Oh, trying to do some thinking. You know, make decisions, clear my head." She intentionally kept her tone light.

"I see. You have big decisions to make?"

"I do. Like how long I'm staying and where I'm going next." Christine shrugged. "I've been praying about my future, but suddenly it all feels very… real. Concrete."

"Well, the woods is an excellent place to talk to God and clear your head. I hope you can come to decisions about your future that leave you more excited than fearful, Christine. I'll leave you to your walk."

With that, Lucas tipped his hat to her and walked briskly past her, back towards the town.

Christine realized that he was right; the woods was the perfect spot for her to stop for a moment and pray, something she hadn't done all day.

"Hello God. I've got so much on my heart right now. I feel as though I have no direction for my future. I'm jobless with a broken heart and a blossoming relationship with a brother I didn't know existed until about a month ago. I know that you are good, and that you work all things together for the good of your children, which includes me. Please, give me some direction. Should I stay in Hope Valley indefinitely? Should I make this town my home? Or should I go back to Benson Hills? Or even Athabasca Landing? Or Calgary? I want to know Kevin better, but I also feel like I need to start my life again. I've felt like I've been in limbo for months now. Please give me direction; help me know if I should stay in Hope Valley.

"Please also be with Boyd. Help him to know You and develop a meaningful relationship with You. Even though we were not meant to be married, I loved him, and I still desire good for him. God, I feel my heart healing from my relationship with him. It doesn't hurt as much to talk about him. But I still feel unready to fall in love again, even though I still want to. Please let me find the right man, a man who loves You more than anything and loves me deeply too. A love like my parents' love for each other. 

"Thank you for keeping Kevin safe for all these years. And for bringing us back to each other. I know that Your plans are best. I can see it in the path my life has taken. I would never have met Henry, or Mum and Dad, or Elizabeth or anyone here in Hope Valley if You hadn't brought me through everything I've faced. And I probably wouldn't know and love you as I do. Thank you.

"I love you, God. Amen." As Christine lifted her head and unclasped her hands, she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She took a deep breath, trusting that God would give her wisdom in His own time. And meanwhile, she wanted to talk to Kevin about her future plans.

* * *

Christine headed immediately for the livery after her walk in the woods, and was glad to find Kevin there alone in his office, apparently looking over some old financial ledgers.

"Kevin!"

Her brother looked up from his ledger. "Christine! What brings you by this afternoon?"

"I was hoping you had a minute?" Christine asked nervously.

"Is everything okay?" Kevin closed the book in front of him.

"Oh, yes. I've just been thinking, and I wanted your opinion."

"My opinion? About what?"

"Do you want to take a quick walk with me? Maybe just down the street and back?"

"Sure." Kevin stood up from his desk and turned off his lamp. Then he followed Christine out of the livery and into the street. "So what's going on? You have me a little worried." Sure enough, when Christine looked at him, Kevin's eyebrows were scrunched and his lips were pursed, giving him a severe look, which looked quite out of place for a man usually so cheerful.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I've just been doing some thinking."

"You said that already, and it doesn't help much."

"Right, of course. This morning, Elizabeth told me I should think about moving to Hope Valley permanently, and I wanted to know what you think of that." She paused, and waited for Kevin's reaction. But it didn't come fast enough for Christine. "I mean, it was just a thought. I wouldn't want to get in your way or make you feel claustrophobic or responsible for me or anything. I can go back to Athabasca or Benson Hills. Don't worry about it, I won't stay, of course. It's fine, I'll-."

She probably would have kept babbling anxiously if Kevin hadn't interrupted her. "Christine, I think that's a great idea! I would _love_ for you to stay in Hope Valley!" he exclaimed.

She took a deep breath and hugged her brother tightly. "Oh thank goodness. I mean, I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do, but I knew I needed to talk to you before I just moved here permanently. And I'm glad you're so okay with it. This seems like a really special town, but I wouldn't want to live here if it would bother you."

Kevin gave Christine a look. "Was that all you wanted to talk to me about? You maybe living in Hope Valley?"

"Yes?" Christine said with a half shrug. "I didn't want to presume that you would feel any particular way about it, and I felt like you deserved to have a voice in the conversation. Since Elizabeth certainly has one."

"Well, I appreciate it, but you didn't have to ask me. Although I am grateful." He paused. "You know you can talk to me about whatever, right? I mean, we don't know each other that well yet, but you can trust me."

"I think I know," Christine nodded. "But it'll take some time for me to be confident in that." They turned around to head back toward the livery. "So, if I move here I'll need to find a place to live. Know of anywhere with affordable rent?"

"Actually," Kevin said with a small smile, "Fiona was telling me just the other afternoon that she's looking for a roommate. She recently lost her job as the telephone operator, and so she's looking for a job and someone to share a home with. She lives in an apartment above the dress shop right now, but I think she wants to move into a house. You could always ask her about it."

"I think I will," Christine said excitedly. That was potentially one of her concerns dealt with already. She really didn't want to live alone. "So, you've been spending a lot of time with Fiona?" she said slyly.

Kevin just smiled wider. "Not since you and I met, but generally, yes. In fact, I'm going to see her this afternoon. I was going to invite her to dinner one night next week. A wise woman I once met suggested that I be straightforward with her about my interest."

"Oh, she sounds like a very wise woman. I think that's wonderful."

"I can ask Fiona if she's still looking for a roommate if you want."

"That would be great." The pair had arrived back at the livery. "Well, I'll leave you to finish your work so you can go woo a lovely woman," she said teasingly.

"I'm glad you came by, Christine," Kevin said sincerely. "I really enjoy you, and I'm glad we're getting to know each other."

"Me too." Christine waved and turned away. As she walked away, she thought to herself, _I think I might really love living here._


	6. Making a Home

On Sunday morning, Christine woke up early. It was a habit from her upbringing. No matter where the family was stationed, the Delaneys had Sunday devotionals before breakfast, even if there was a proper church in the community. Mum had insisted on it, claiming that it helped her stay centered during her years alone when Dad could be gone for days on end and wanting to instill the practice in her children. Even though Christine didn’t live with her parents anymore, she had grown to love Sunday morning devotions so much that they were a part of her routine as an adult as well. 

That morning particularly, Christine felt grateful for the time alone with God. She had privately come to a decision: if she could find a job in Hope Valley soon, she would stay. Even still, she wanted to bring that to the Lord, trusting Him to provide all that she needed, job or not.

After her time of prayer, she read all four chapters of the book of Ruth. Ruth came to a foreign country with her mother-in-law. They were poor, they had no one to protect them but each other, and Ruth was a foreigner, with different customs and culture, and more importantly, a different belief system. But she gave it all up because of her loyalty to her mother-in-law. And she was rewarded with a second chance at marriage with a good man. Although Boaz was likely quite a bit older than Ruth, Christine couldn’t help but feel envious of the faithful Moabite. “But God’s will be done,” she reminded herself, and then took a moment to list five things she was grateful for from the previous week. She had so much to be grateful for, even if she hadn’t found her future husband. 

When she finished, she got dressed in one of her best dresses and went down to breakfast. 

* * *

After breakfast, Elizabeth, Christine, and Jack headed over to the church. It was Pastor Zeke’s first Sunday since the Flynn wedding. He preached on Psalm 34. He spoke about how God is our provider; how He is trustworthy and gives us all that we need, even if it’s not what we want or expect. A few verses stuck out to Christine as she sat listening to the young preacher: verse 4 and verse 10. Verse 4 said “I sought the LORD and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears,” and verse 10 said “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” The pastor spoke very eloquently on these verses particularly. 

After the service ended, Christine sought out the young pastor to thank him for his encouraging and challenging words. “Pastor, I’m Christine Delaney, I’m new to town, but I just want to say thank you. Your sermon was exactly what I needed to hear.”

“Miss Delaney, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He shook Christine’s hand. “I’m glad that you enjoyed my sermon, but you know it’s all the Lord’s doing. I’m not really intelligent enough to say everything I’ve said without the help of the Holy Spirit.”

Christine nodded. “That’s what my father always says when he gives particularly good advice. But, I wanted to say that I’m especially thankful for what you said about verse 10. Your reminder that all that we have is a gift from God, but perhaps those things we lack may be a gift too. I had never thought about how God is purposeful in withholding things that aren’t good for us sometimes, and how that is a gift, even if it doesn’t feel like it. I’ve been going through a bit of a rough season in my life, and your words gave me a lot of hope.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Miss Delaney,” the pastor smiled sincerely. “Excuse me, Mrs. Sullivan is waving me over.” 

“Of course, Pastor.” Christine nodded. 

“It was great to meet you, and I look forward to talking more with you about Psalm 34,” said the young man before making his way past her through the crowd. 

Christine turned to see who else might be around to talk to, and she saw Nathan standing with the man she thought Kevin had said was the judge. She walked over, intending to introduce herself. Nathan saw her and his face lit up. She made her way through the crowd until she was right there, and Nathan made the introduction himself. 

“Bill, have you met my old friend Miss Christine Delaney?” 

“I have not, it’s a pleasure. I’m Bill Avery.” He shook her hand. “Now, you’re not any relation to Wynn Delaney, are you?” 

Christine smiled widely. “He’s my father. I take it that you’re a Mountie as well, then?”

“I was. I retired a few years ago. Now I’m a regional judge. But I spent a lot of years in the Mounties, and I loved my time there. I served with your father up in Calgary before he married. And didn’t I hear that his son joined up too?”

“You did. My brother Henry is stationed in Benson Hills at present.” 

“Oh, that’s great. Benson Hills is a good assignment.”

“Yes, I think he quite likes it. And his wife Amber is enjoying the town. They’re expecting a baby in a few months, and I think he’s glad they’re not up North while she’s pregnant.”

“Oh yes, that would put a mind at ease. So what are you doing in Hope Valley Miss Delaney? You didn’t come all this way just to see Nathan here, did you?” Bill asked with a twinkle in his eye. 

“No, actually. I didn’t even realize that he was posted here until I arrived. I’m here to see family. My biological brother lives here, Kevin Townsend, and my cousin Elizabeth Thatcher--er, Thornton now.” 

“You don’t say. You’re related to Kevin  _ and  _ Elizabeth? I didn’t know they’re related!” Bill exclaimed. “Elizabeth’s husband was a good friend of mine, and I’m her son’s godfather.” 

“Well, technically Kevin and Elizabeth aren’t related. I was adopted when I was a little older than Baby Jack by Wynn and Beth Delaney. Elizabeth’s father is Beth’s brother. Kevin and I are biological siblings. So if our parents hadn’t died, then Elizabeth and I would never have met.”

“Wow. What a coincidence that they both ended up in Hope Valley,” Bill said. 

She nodded. “I know. And I think I may end up here too,” 

“What?” Nathan asked, a surprised look on his face. “You’re moving to Hope Valley permanently?” 

“Well, if I can find a job. I don’t suppose either of you know someone who needs a secretary? That’s all I really know how to do.” 

“Funny you bring it up.  _ I  _ need a secretary,” Bill said matter-of-factly. 

“Really?” Christine felt her eyes widen. “You’re serious?”

“I am. I have so much paperwork, and my job requires a lot of writing. It would be so helpful to have someone to help out with the typing, since I’m not much good at it anyway. Are you interested?”

“Uh, yes! Absolutely. Wow. When do you want to interview me? Not to mention check my references and credentials?” 

“Well, did you go to school for secretarial work?” 

“I did. I got my certification two years ago in Calgary, and then I worked for Arthur Kinsley and Associates, a large textile manufacturing company. I have a reference from Arthur Kingsley and another from his receptionist Ms. Rachel Stout. I left his employ because of a personal relationship that soured.”

“Well, do you know anything about the law?”

“I haven’t had any professional experience with legal matters, but I was raised by a Mountie, so I grew up hearing about the law, talking about the law, thinking about it. Of course, almost entirely from the perspective of a law enforcement officer, not a judge who makes rulings based on the law, and I recognize that it’s different.”

“Yes, but you’re familiar with the jargon?” 

“Oh yes. On long winter nights, if I’d read all of my books and we couldn’t get any new ones, I would occasionally borrow Father’s law books. I’m quite familiar with the language.” 

“I think that’s all I need. You’re hired.” Bill held out his hand to her. “Can you start on Wednesday?” 

Christine shook his hand, hardly believing it. “Yes, of course! Thank you, Judge Avery!” 

“Just call me Bill. I’ll see you in my office Wednesday morning, then. It was good to see you, Nathan. I’ve gotta get back to the cafe.” And with that, Bill walked confidently through the crowd and left the church. 

Christine turned excitedly to Nathan. “Did that really just happen?”

Nathan smiled widely at her. “It definitely did. That’s great, Christine. Congratulations! Also, I’m really excited that you’re staying! When did you decide?” 

“I decided that if I found a job by next Sunday I would stay permanently. Otherwise, I was still evaluating. God clearly has plans for me here.” 

“Well, I’m thrilled. And I’m sure Elizabeth is too.”

“Welllll…” 

“Well what? I’m sure she’s ecstatic. She told me how happy she is to have you here.” 

“I’m sure she will be when I tell her, but I haven’t yet.”

“What? You need to go tell her  _ right now!  _ Especially since you’ve already got a job!” Nathan looked over the crowd and his eyes brightened when he looked toward the back door. “There she is! Go tell her! But first--” Nathan pulled Christine into a hug. “I’m so happy for you! I’m glad you’re going to be living here.” 

When he released her, he gently pushed her toward Elizabeth. “I’m going to find Allie, but I’ll see you later, I’m sure.” 

* * *

Lucas Bouchard sat comfortably in the very back row during the Sunday service. He was impressed with the young pastor’s eloquence and the profundity of his words. Psalm 34 had always been a favorite of his, and the sermon was certainly reinforcing that preference. Pastor Zeke had given Lucas a lot to consider. 

_ Maybe not putting Elizabeth and me together was a gift _ , he mused silently to himself.  _ Although I’m not entirely sure how, yet _ . 

When the congregation had sung the final hymn and Pastor Zeke had given the benediction, Lucas stood up, intending to leave quickly. He had a couple of guests who needed his attention back at the saloon, and he wanted to take some time to ponder the sermon in solitude, perhaps taking a walk through the woods to clear his head. But as he was on his way out, Kevin Townsend spotted him and walked over. 

“Lucas! It’s good to see you!” he said, a huge smile on his face. 

“It’s good to see you too, Kevin. How are things?”

Kevin’s smile got wider. “Things are great! Christine is considering staying in Hope Valley permanently!” 

“Really? That’s wonderful news. Do you know what made her consider it?” he asked as he silently thought,  _ So that’s what was on her mind yesterday.  _

__ “I think Elizabeth suggested it. But I’m not sure. And of course, she may decide not to stay, but for the moment, I’m hopeful.” 

“That’s excellent news, Kevin. I’m very happy for you both.” 

“Thanks, Lucas. I’ll see you around,” said Kevin as he moved away. Over Kevin’s shoulder, Lucas saw Christine talking animatedly to someone, but he couldn’t see who through the crowd. The sight gave him a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. 

“Have a good afternoon,” he responded as he shifted through the crowd to see who Christine was speaking to with so much joy and earnestness on her face. 

Just as the pastor came into view as Christine’s companion, Lucas bumped into Fiona. “Oh hi there Lucas. How are you doing?” 

Lucas turned his attention to Fiona a bit reluctantly. “I’m doing well Ms. Miller. And yourself?” 

“I’m just fine. Trying to make decisions about the future, but doing pretty well all the same.”

“You still haven’t decided what you want to do now that you’re no longer employed with the telephone company?” 

“No, nothing’s really called to me yet. But I still have some savings left, so I don’t have to rush into anything. After all, I’m smart enough to do whatever I set my mind to. I just have to be open to the possibilities around me.” 

“That’s a very positive attitude, Fiona. I hope you figure it out soon,” he said with a small smile and nod as he turned to look for Christine again. But he had lost her. 

“Looking for someone?” Fiona asked after a moment. 

“What?” Lucas started. He had expected Fiona to walk away, but apparently she hadn’t. 

Fiona had one eyebrow raised and a knowing smile on her face. “Who are you looking for? I can’t imagine it’s Elizabeth since she and Nathan have been pretty chummy lately and you haven’t seemed too put out about it. So who  _ has  _ caught your eye?”

Lucas blushed a little but refused to respond. “I’ve got to get back to some guests at the Queen of Hearts, Fiona. I hope you have a lovely afternoon.” 

“I’ll walk out with you,” she said with a smile. “I’ve got plans this afternoon anyway, so I’d like to get home and get ready.” The pair turned and walked out the church and down the front steps.

Lucas noticed an excitement in Fiona’s smile he hadn’t seen before. “Plans? Perhaps with a gentleman?” he asked, turning the question around on her for a change. 

Fiona nodded enthusiastically. “Kevin asked me to join him for a picnic lunch this afternoon. I’m really excited! He’s a swell guy. I really like him.”

“He certainly is a good man, Fiona. That sounds quite enjoyable.” They reached the edge of town and were headed in opposite directions. “Have a good afternoon.”

“You too, Lucas!” Fiona said with a wave as she turned toward the dress shop. Lucas took a deep breath before deciding to head immediately into the woods for a bit of fresh air. His guests could wait another half hour. He wanted to clear his head. 

* * *

On Sunday afternoon, Nathan Grant left home to do his rounds. But he decided to leave a bit earlier than normal and make a slight detour. He walked the few houses down to the Thornton residence and knocked. As he waited, he fidgeted with his belt. 

After a moment, the door opened and Christine was standing in front of him. “Oh hi Nathan. What are you doing here?”

“Christine! Is Elizabeth here? I’ve got to rounds, but I was hoping to get a quick word with her first.” 

Christine pulled the door open all the way. “Come on in. She’s upstairs changing Jack’s diaper. I’ll go get her.” 

“Thank you, Chrissie.” 

She just nodded with a knowing smile before turning and gliding smoothly up the stairs. 

After a moment, Elizabeth appeared at the top of the stairs. 

“Nathan! What are you doing here?” she asked with a smile as she descended.

“I was hoping to talk to you for a minute before my rounds.” He stepped over to meet her at the foot of the stairs. 

Elizabeth nodded. “Of course. What do you want to talk about?” 

“Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked, carefully watching her eyes for any sign that she’d had a change of heart. After all, they hadn’t spoken alone since Thursday night. 

Her eyes widened momentarily, and then her smile immediately widened. “I would love that. It sounds lovely.” 

Nathan felt the nerves in his chest dissolve as his smile widened too. “Perfect. Can I pick you up here? Around 6?” 

Elizabeth nodded. “Absolutely.” 

“I’ll see you then. I’d better get going on my rounds.” He turned and made to walk out of the row house, but just as he opened the door, Elizabeth spoke again. 

“Thank you for asking me,” she said with a small smile. “I’m looking forward to it.” 

Nathan nodded. “Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow Elizabeth.” As he closed the door behind him, he let out a small sigh of relief. He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. “Tomorrow,” he said to himself, hardly above a whisper. 

* * *

On Monday, Elizabeth practically raced out of school to get ready for her dinner with Nathan. Her first stop was, naturally, Rosemary Coulter’s home. 

“Oh Elizabeth! You’re just in time. I just finished this dress and I think it’s  _ perfect  _ for your first dinner with a suitor, especially if that suitor is Nathan.” 

“Rosemary, I didn’t ask you for a dress, I just asked if you would help me get ready! I meant especially with my hair!” Elizabeth protested as Rosemary dragged her into her home. 

Ignoring the protests of her friend, Rosemary held up a royal blue dress with a lighter blue floral print. It had a sweetheart neckline, three quarter length sleeves, and a little bit of beading at the waist. It was perfectly elegant without being too flashy for an evening out in Hope Valley. “Oh,” Elizabeth exhaled softly when she saw the dress. 

“That’s what I thought,” Rosemary said smugly as she pushed Elizabeth behind the screen she had set up to try the dress on. 

As Elizabeth undressed, she couldn’t help but compliment her friend. “This dress is gorgeous, Rosemary. You are amazingly talented with a needle and thread.”

“Oh, I do what I can,” said Rosemary, but Elizabeth could hear the pride in her voice. She stepped out from behind the screen, and Rosemary gasped with pleasure. “I knew it! It’s perfect! It brings out your eyes! The moment I saw that fabric, I  _ saw  _ this dress with you in it!”

Elizabeth laughed. “You have a very good eye. Now, would you mind helping me fix my hair? That’s what I’m most worried about.” 

“First take a look at your reflection, please!” Rosemary exclaimed. 

Elizabeth gave her friend an exasperated look, but stepped in front of the mirror just the same. “Oh, I feel so beautiful in this!” she said. “It’s been a while since I really stopped and thought about feeling beautiful.”

“The dress is perfect because it accentuates  _ your  _ beauty, not the other way around,” Rosemary said gently. “Now, you’re right. You do need help with your hair.” 

The two women made their way over from the Coulters’ home to Elizabeth’s to relieve Laura of her duties for the day. Christine walked in a few minutes later and happily watched little Jack while the other two women made quick work of Elizabeth’s hair, makeup, and jewelry. 

“Rosemary, you’re sure you don’t mind watching Jack tonight?” Elizabeth asked when they’d finished getting her ready twenty minutes before Nathan was set to arrive. 

“Of course I don’t mind. Lee and I  _ love  _ having him! You just enjoy yourself with Nathan!” Rosemary said, cuddling the little boy in her arms. 

“I can take him with me if I need to,” Christine added. “I’m just going to be with Allie, and I’m sure she’d love the time with him.” 

“No, no,” Rosemary protested. “You enjoy spending time with Allie, and Lee and I will enjoy little Jack. Next time we can trade! Or maybe all do something together,” Rosemary said with a big smile. “Now you go on so Nathan can come get Elizabeth!” And with no further assurances, Christine walked out the front door. 

“Now, do you want me to stay until he arrives, Elizabeth? Or do you want me to take Jack and give you a moment to yourself?” 

Elizabeth gave her friend what she knew must be a frantic look. “Stay, please! I haven’t done this in a very long time. I could use a little encouragement.” 

Rosemary looked very calm as she replied, “Of course. That’s what friends are for.” 

Elizabeth smiled at her friend even as she felt her heart speed up. “You’re the best friend a girl could have Rosemary Coulter.” 

“You make friendship very easy, Elizabeth. Truly.” 

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Elizabeth gasped a little. “Take a deep breath, then stand up and answer the door. You’re going to have a lovely time, I’m sure.” 

Elizabeth did as she was told. She took a deep breath, stood, and walked slowly to the door. She paused for a moment before opening it, but when she did, she felt her smile widen even as the butterflies in her stomach increased. There was Nathan, looking handsome as ever in the same blue suit he wore for Clara and Jesse’s wedding. 

“Elizabeth,” he said, sounding almost breathless. “You look stunning.” 

She felt her cheeks warm as he looked at her with such admiration. “Thank you,” she said. “You look wonderful yourself.” 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, holding out his arm to her. 

“I am,” Elizabeth responded. As she closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but give one last look to Rosemary, who smiled and nodded reassuringly.

“So where are we going?” she asked as she took his arm. 

“You’ll see,” Nathan said with a small smile. Elizabeth wasn’t sure if what she was seeing on his face was nerves or confidence, but either way, Nathan looked adorable. 

The pair walked in comfortable silence down the street and into town. Elizabeth thought Nathan was leading her to the saloon, and she considered protesting. But before she could, Nathan stopped and directed her toward the jail. He took an audibly deep breath. “Here we are.” 

Elizabeth couldn’t help but give him a questioning glance, but she wasn’t upset. Nathan’s nerves were now quite apparent, however, so she did her best to change the question in her eyes to reassurance. 

Nathan gave the smallest hint of a shrug, almost as though for himself, before opening the door to reveal a beautifully decorated space. 

Elizabeth inhaled quickly, surprised. “Nathan,” she took a step into the room. “It’s beautiful.” He had covered the room with flowers and greenery of all kinds--wild flowers from the field behind the school, black eyed susans from Florence’s back garden, beautiful ferns from the woods, and so many others. There was even a bouquet sitting on the table just like the one he had brought her the day after Clara’s bachelorette party. And the table. It was laid beautifully with real china and candles and the meal that had been prepared smelled heavenly. 

Nathan followed her into the room. “I was inspired by what you did for the Flynns' wedding, and I thought it would be special for us to have our first dinner together where we first met.” 

Elizabeth looked at him, amazed. He smiled widely, the nerves clearly gone. “Bill may’ve helped a bit. Particularly with the food. And the china’s his. Apparently it was his mother’s.” He took a step toward the table and pulled a chair out for Elizabeth. She smiled and sat. 

“Bill is a good man and a very dear friend,” Elizabeth said with a nod. 

Nathan agreed as he took his own seat. “Yes. He cares a lot about you, you know. He said you deserve something special; that’s why he offered the china.” 

Elizabeth shook her head with a smile, her curls bouncing a little but mostly staying up in the fancy half-up do that Rosemary had done. She looked directly at Nathan. “I don’t need anything fancy, just heartfelt.” She felt herself blush a little, but couldn’t draw her eyes from Nathan’s. 

The pair just sat like that for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes, until Nathan realized what he was doing. His cheeks turned pink and he cleared his throat, turning his attention to the pitcher of lemonade on the table. “Um, can I pour you a drink? It’s Allie’s lemonade. She adds something to it, I’m not sure what, but it’s delicious. She wanted to contribute to tonight too.” Elizabeth couldn’t help but notice how attractive Nathan was with his rosy cheeks. 

“That sounds lovely, Nathan. And it’s sweet of her to want to be a part of tonight.” Nathan poured her a glass and then handed it to her, and her fingers brushed his as she took it. She felt an electricity run through her, just as it had that day in the library so long ago. But unlike that day in the library, they weren’t interrupted, and Nathan didn’t run away. She chuckled to think of it. 

“What?” Nathan asked, his brow furrowed slightly. 

“Oh, just, do you remember that day a little over a year ago when that shelf in the library fell? Our hands touched, and I was surprised at what I felt in that moment. But then before either of us could say or do anything, Fiona came in and you practically ran out the door. I have to admit, I was pretty sure you were  _ not  _ interested in me after that.”

Nathan chuckled along with her. “I was surprised too. And embarrassed when we were interrupted. I’m not exactly good with words at the best of times. And in a moment like that. Well, there are some fears that are easier to face than others.” He paused. “We should eat, dinner is getting cold.” 

Elizabeth picked up her fork and knife and started on her meal. “Well, I’m glad you finally asked me to dinner. You know, I had almost given up waiting for you. But Christine told me to ‘hold you to a high standard and give you some time,’ and then, well, here we are.” 

Nathan’s smile grew a bit softer. “Ah, Christine. She’s like a second sister to me, you know.”

“I do now,” Elizabeth grinned. “Although when she first got to town, everyone, including Rosemary, tried to convince me you two were sweethearts.” 

Nathan shrugged. “People make lots of assumptions. But she said something to me about you, too. Suggested that we were making eyes at each other the other morning. That it wasn’t just one sided, the way I thought it might be.” 

“After that  _ very public  _ hug? You weren’t sure about my feelings?” Elizabeth asked, completely incredulous.

“Your first husband was a Mountie. I didn’t want to assume that it was strictly because of your feelings for me. I imagined that feelings from your relationship with him had influenced your actions.” 

Elizabeth paused for a moment. “Maybe they did a little bit. But I wasn’t thinking about Jack when I heard Carson say ‘he’s gone.’ I was thinking about you, about not getting the chance to--to be with you, to talk to you again, to see your smile or hear your voice. That’s why I reacted the way I did. Not because you reminded me of Jack, but because I was relieved that we hadn’t lost you.” 

Nathan took a deep breath and stared at his plate. Elizabeth felt herself tearing up, reliving the feelings of that horrible moment. She took a sip of her lemonade to ground herself in the present moment, to remind herself of the joy of Nathan’s company in the right now. 

Nathan looked up, and apparently saw the tears forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” 

She dabbed at her tears with the napkin she had placed on her lap. “It’s okay, Nathan. We should be able to talk about painful things as well as the sweet moments. I grant you, our first dinner together isn’t probably the  _ ideal _ moment for digging up all of our past hurts, but one so significant in our relationship is okay, I think.” 

“Well, I think I’d like to talk about something a bit more pleasant.” 

“I’d like that too.” 

“Tell me, when did you discover your love of Emerson?” 

Elizabeth was glad for the change in conversation, and found herself completely entranced by her company as they continued to talk about books and music and their favorite spots around town. Before she knew it, it was 8:30, they had finished their dinner, and she needed to be getting home. 

“I’d like to walk you, if that’s alright,” Nathan said shyly. 

Elizabeth nodded. “Of course you may, but if you need to tidy up first, I’d love to help you. I don’t want to leave you with a mess.” 

Nathan shook his head. “No, we’ve actually got a volunteer who’s coming by in about fifteen minutes to clean up.” At Elizabeth’s questioning glance, Nathan shrugged. “Bill insisted. He said something about the china, but then under his breath he was talking about ‘thinking things through' and ‘an escort home’.” 

Elizabeth giggled as she and Nathan stepped out into the evening air. “Bill is surprisingly invested in our evening. When did that happen?”

“Well, I think he’s always been invested in your happiness. He’s told me on numerous occasions that Jack was like a son to him, which in turn made you like his daughter.” He held out his arm to her, which Elizabeth took as they began walking back toward the row houses. “He’s very protective of you, you know.” 

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, he has been since Jack died. I think he felt responsible for taking care of me because of their bond.” 

“Well, I’m glad for it,” said Nathan with a surprising solemnity. “You and little Jack deserve to be cared for.”

Elizabeth didn’t know what to say, so they walked the rest of the way in silence. When they reached her door, she turned to Nathan. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. It was perfect.”

“Thank you for agreeing to come,” said Nathan sincerely. 

“Good night, Constable,” she said with a faintly flirtatious smile. 

“Good night, Mrs. Thornton,” he responded with equal flirtation. He waited until she stepped into the house and closed the door behind her to walk away; she could hear his shoes crunching on the gravel as he walked down the road. 

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I can’t believe the evening I’ve had.” 

* * *

When Nathan walked through the door to his house, Christine was sitting calmly on the sofa knitting something. Allie was nowhere to be seen. 

“Did you have a good time?” Christine asked without looking up from her work. 

“I did.” Nathan couldn’t help but speak with great feeling in his voice. 

Christine smiled as she looked up at him. “And did Elizabeth appreciate the evening?”

“I believe so,” Nathan said calmly, although with a goofy smile on his face. 

“I’m glad.” Christine picked up her ball of yarn and her needles and put them in her basket. “Allie went to get ready for bed about ten minutes ago. I told her I would send you up to her when you got home. I think she wants to ask about your evening too.” 

Nathan nodded as he loosened his tie. “Great, thank you Christine. I really appreciate your sitting with Allie while I was out. Not that she really needs someone, but I think leaving her alone too often isn’t good for her.” 

“Of course, Nathan. I’m happy to help, anytime. She’s a great kid.” Christine walked to the door. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, probably.” 

Nathan barely acknowledged Christine, but was vaguely aware of her chuckling as she stepped out the door. “What a perfect night,” he said to himself before taking off his shoes and walking up the stairs. 

* * *

On Wednesday morning, Christine put on her most professional blouse and skirt, packed a sandwich and an apple in her basket, and headed briskly over to the judge’s office on Main Street. She knocked on the door at 8 am, but opened the door without waiting for a response. 

“Judge Avery?” she said tentatively as she stepped into the office. 

“Just call me Bill. Everyone does around here, Miss Delaney.” 

“Oh, Christine is fine,” she responded. “I’m excited to get started.”

“Great. Well, there’s your desk, your typewriter, and a few documents I need you to go ahead and type out. I need two copies of each one of them,” Bill said, gesturing to a desk to his left, Christine’s right. 

“Excellent, then I’ll get to work,” said Christine with a smile as she walked over and set her basket down. “Oh, are these rulings on recent cases?”

“Yep. I need to send one copy to Mountie headquarters in Union City and another to the governor’s office.”

“Well, do you want me to make a third copy for your own files?” Christine asked, carefully examining the messily handwritten documents in front of her. 

Bill didn’t say anything, so Christine looked up at him. He had narrowed his eyes at her. “Oh, I didn’t mean to overstep or be rude. I just thought it might be helpful. I’m actually a very good typist. I work very quickly and rarely make mistakes. But of course, it’s your decision. They’re your files. I’ll just get to work.” 

She immediately turned to face the typewriter and began typing immediately. Her face was turning red, and she was embarrassed to have already made a mistake by being rude to her new boss. 

“Go ahead and make three copies. That’s not a bad idea, Christine.” 

Christine spent her morning typing up rulings the judge had made, filing them in his current system, and mentally taking note of where things were kept and her new boss’s idiosyncrasies. But at noon, Bill stood up from his desk. “Can I take you to lunch on your first day?” he asked gruffly. 

Christine looked up in surprise. “I have a sandwich, so I’m alright, but thank you,” she said demurely. 

But Bill insisted. “I’m part owner of the cafe, and I would be happy to take you there for lunch on your first day of work. I know we have better food than a plain sandwich.”

Christine smiled. Apparently, in spite of his gruff exterior, Bill did have a generous heart. “That sounds lovely.”  _ I think I’ll rather like this job,  _ she thought to herself as they stepped into the street. 

* * *

That evening, Christine wrote another letter to her parents, although she knew that her first one might not have even arrived yet. 

“Dear Mum and Dad, 

“I have so much to tell you! So much has happened in such a short time! Kevin and I are getting along so well, and I really enjoy him. And it has been so sweet catching up with Elizabeth and Nathan. I am so glad I came here. I really think this place is special. And that’s why I’ve decided to stay. There’s a regional judge whose seat is here in Hope Valley, and he gave me a job working as his secretary. He’s a bit prickly but actually very kind. Today was my first day, but I rather like working for him so far. 

“I’m going to start looking for a place to live soon; Elizabeth tells me I can stay with her as long as I want, but I don’t want to be a burden on her. A friend of Kevin’s is apparently looking for a roommate, so I’m going to speak to her soon and see if she might be interested in living together. I dread the thought of living on my own somewhere. 

“Hope Valley is a beautiful town, and I wish you could see it. I miss you both and Henry dearly, and I wish we could all be together again soon. I love you so much. 

“Your affectionate daughter,

“Christine” 

The next afternoon when Christine stopped by the mercantile to mail it, she was surprised to learn that they had already sent a response. As soon as she was out of the store, she tore it open eagerly. She saw her mother’s graceful handwriting across the page and was immediately overcome by a wave of homesickness. 

“Dearest Christine, 

“Your father and I were so pleased to get your letter. We miss you very much, darling, but we trust that God has brought you to Hope Valley for a reason. I don’t know how long you had planned on staying there, but I wonder if you might consider making your time there more permanent? Since there are so many people you already know and love there, it might not be a bad idea to settle there if you can find a job. I’m not saying you definitely should, but I encourage you to pray about it. 

“Your mother’s old neighbor already sent over a few items, but apparently her daughter in Calgary has several things as well, so we’re going to wait until we get those items to send everything together. I’m sorry for the delay, but we’ll get it to you as quickly as we can. 

“Please give Elizabeth and Nathan our love. I can’t believe they both ended up in the same town! What a blessing for you to have such dear friends in a new place. And give Kevin our love too. As your brother, he is as dear to us as he is to you! 

“Know that your father and I are so proud of the woman that you are. We are both certain that God is doing beautiful things in your life, and we feel blessed to get to witness them. 

“All of our love,

“Mother and Father”


	7. Putting Down Roots

Two weeks into her new job, Christine was still enjoying her work and her time in Hope Valley. She had managed to convince Bill to let her reorganize his files, she and Kevin had spent quite a lot of time together, and she had met almost everyone in town. Hope Valley was starting to feel like home. 

On the Wednesday that marked two weeks working for Bill, Christine was out taking a short walk during her lunch break. Bill had left town that morning for a meeting with the Governor, and he hadn’t left much work for Christine to do. He’d told her to keep the place clean and take it easy, so she didn’t think he would mind if she locked up and stretched her legs for a bit. 

As she walked by the dress shop, she nearly bumped into Fiona, who was coming out. “Oh, hi there!” said Fiona enthusiastically. “How’re you doing, Christine?” 

“I’m doing well, Fiona, thanks for asking. How are you? Have you found a job yet? Kevin mentioned that you’ve been looking.” 

Fiona shook her head. “Nothing permanent yet, but I’ve done a few odd jobs around town, and I’m sure I’ll find something soon.” 

“I hope so,” said Christine. “So where are you headed?” 

“I’m not sure,” Fiona shrugged. “I just thought I would go for a quick walk.” 

“That’s what I’m doing, too. Care to join me?” 

“I would love to,” said Fiona, and she confidently took Christine’s arm and they began walking down the street together. “So you’ve decided to move here permanently,” she said, clearly trying to make conversation.

“Yes, I needed to settle down somewhere, and a place where I know people seems like a good decision.”

“Oh yes. And having your long-lost brother in town must be a huge plus. I mean, if I discovered my long-lost brother, I wouldn’t want to leave him anytime soon either.”

Christine nodded. “That definitely played a role in my decision. But even more than just Kevin, this town is special. It really feels like a community here. And I want to be a part of it. I’ve got a job, so my next hurdle is finding a place to live.”

“Really? You’re not going to stay with Elizabeth?” Fiona asked, sounding a bit surprised. 

“No, I don’t want to be in her way. In fact, I’d been meaning to come find you and ask: Kevin mentioned that you were looking for a roommate a little while ago, and I was wondering if you’re still looking.” 

Fiona stopped walking and pulled her arm from Christine’s so she could turn and face her. “Yes! I am! I was about to start hanging flyers if I didn’t find someone soon! Jed Campbell and his daughter live on a farm not too far from town. There’s a cabin there near the town-side of his land that he told me he would rent to me if I was interested. I just didn’t want to live out of town on my own.”

Christine nodded. “I’ve never lived alone, and I really didn’t want to. I think that sounds lovely!” 

Fiona hooked her arm back with Christine’s and pulled her along. “Swell! Let’s go see Jed right now! I bet he’d let us check out the cabin this afternoon!” 

* * *

A week later, Christine and Fiona had made an agreement with Jed Campbell, and they were set to move in that weekend. They had already sat down together to discuss what they already had, and were now headed to the Mercantile to buy the things they would need. 

When they strolled in after Christine finished work for the day, Ned Yost looked incredibly overwhelmed behind the counter, studiously reading a thick, dusty book that Christine recognized immediately. “Ned, what are you doing with the town charter?” 

The man looked up at her, frowning. “I’m the head of the Town Council.”

“So?” Fiona asked, clearly unaware of what that entailed. 

“So it means that since our mayor has been gone for over six months, he becomes the mayor. And he doesn’t want to do it,” Florence Blakely chimed in from her station at the switchboard. 

“I”m just trying to see what my options are,” Ned said, still scowling at the book in his hands. 

“Abigail looked through it when  _ she  _ was in your same position, Ned. There’s nothing you can do,” Florence said with a shrug. “You’re just going to have to accept it and be the new mayor. After all, you’re over six months late. Abigail left over a year ago now. It’s time you face facts.” 

Ned scowled at her before closing the book and turning back to the shoppers. “Is there anything I can help you ladies with today?” he asked, tucking the dusty tome on a shelf under the counter. 

Christine nodded excitedly. “We were hoping to see a Sears and Roebuck catalogue, if you’ve got one? We need to order some furniture.”

“That so?” Ned asked amiably as he turned around and started shuffling through a stack of shiny-paged catalogues under the mailboxes. 

“We’re moving into Jed Campbell’s old cabin, on the eastern edge of his property,” Fiona interjected. “We’ll need some furniture. It’s pretty sparse, and some of what he’s got in there is falling apart.” 

“Well, I have some things from the saloon that I don’t use. You ladies are welcome to pick through it.” Christine started as Lucas stepped out from behind a shelf in the mercantile, a basket with a few small items in his hand. 

“That’s real thoughtful, Lucas,” Ned said with a smile as he handed Fiona the catalogue.

“It is. Thank you, Lucas,” Christine said with a shy smile. She thought Lucas’s smile widened just a bit, but told herself it was simply her imagination. 

“I’ve got a few things stored in the building behind the saloon. Tables, chairs, even a couple of bed frames, although the mattresses are in sorry shape. There may even be some rugs and other decor left behind by the former owner. You’re welcome to come look.” 

“That’s great, thanks Lucas! Could we come this afternoon? We’re trying to get everything sorted and ready to move in this weekend,” Fiona explained. 

“I can do you one better, in fact. Would you ladies like to come right now? Then, you’ll know more of what you still need when you look through the catalogue.”

“That sounds wonderful, thank you Lucas!” Christine interjected enthusiastically. 

Lucas nodded gallantly at the ladies, flashing them another smile as he set his basket down on Ned’s counter. “Do you mind if I leave this here and return when we finish up, Mr. Yost?” 

“Not at all, Lucas. Go ahead, and your things will be waiting for you when you return.” 

“Thank you, Ned. Shall we, ladies?” Lucas stepped quickly to the door and held it open, beckoning for Christine and Fiona to follow. 

Christine and Fiona glanced quickly at each other before following Lucas into the street. 

* * *

Lucas couldn’t explain to himself why he felt such a need to get involved with Christine’s home furnishing project. And Fiona’s, of course. They were in this together. But he could acknowledge that he was much more invested in Christine than Fiona. He was a bit uncomfortable with the notion, considering how invested he had been in her cousin not long ago. But still, he heard himself speak up, and when he offered any extra furnishings he had in storage, he imagined that Christine blushed a bit, and that her smile was a bit shy. 

And so, attempting to ignore whatever feelings he had that were leading him, Lucas led Fiona and Christine into the street. 

“Oh, the stagecoach is here,” Fiona observed as they walked, and Lucas looked up the street to see that indeed, the large wagon that carried passengers across the country had arrived in front of the saloon. And apparently there were people disembarking. 

“Apparently we have visitors to our small town,” Lucas noted. “That should be good for business.” But when a man about Bill Avery’s age stepped out of the coach, Christine stopped in her tracks. 

Lucas and Fiona were a few steps ahead of her when he noticed. He turned around, and was about to ask her what was wrong. But the expression on her face wasn’t upset or worried; Christine looked happier than Lucas had ever seen her. Before he could say anything to her, she ran past him and toward the man now helping a woman out of the stagecoach behind him. 

“Mother! Father!” she exclaimed when she reached them. She immediately pulled the woman into a hug, and the man pulled both women into his arms.

Lucas looked over at Fiona, seeing his own surprise mirrored on her face. “Mr. and Mrs. Delaney I guess?” he said with a shrug. 

“I think so?” Fiona said. “Let’s go find out!” And she immediately stalked forward to catch up with her roommate and meet the newcomers. 

Lucas hesitated a moment before deciding to sneak past them and give them some uninterrupted time together as a family. He didn’t want to be in the way of their reunion. He wasn’t sure whether the Delaneys would need a place to stay, but decided to stick around behind the bar just in case they did come in looking for a room. 

When Lucas neared the group, however, Christine caught his eye and gestured for him to join their circle. She smiled as she introduced him. “Lucas, these are my parents, Wynn and Elizabeth Delaney. Mum, Dad, this is Lucas Bouchard, he runs the local saloon and the local oil company.” 

Lucas held out his hand to the man in front of him. He was tall, about Bill’s age, with piercing blue eyes and dark hair streaked with grey. But unlike Bill Avery, his face looked very friendly and he gave Lucas a warm smile as he shook the proffered hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Bouchard. I’ve heard a bit about you and your adventures since your move to Hope Valley, and it’s nice to put a face to the name.” 

Lucas felt his cheeks redden slightly at the reference to the danger he inadvertently put Elizabeth in, but refused to look away. 

“It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Delaney. And Mrs. Delaney,” he then held out his hand to the man’s wife, “it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I can see the resemblance between you and your niece.” 

“Oh, you know Elizabeth! She’s a dear!” Christine’s mother exclaimed. “Her father and I are siblings; we were quite close growing up. I was honored when he told me that he named her after me.” 

“Well, she’s a very dedicated teacher, not unlike yourself I understand, so it was a well-chosen name.” 

Christine chose this moment to interrupt their conversation. “So what are you two doing in Hope Valley?” she asked eagerly. “I’m so glad you’re here, but I never expected you to come visit me! At least not so soon!” 

“Well, your mother had the idea to deliver your first mother’s belongings to you in person, and I admit that I was delighted by the idea. An opportunity to see our beautiful daughter and meet her brother would be very difficult to pass up! Especially with our niece and a man who is practically an honorary Delaney in town? We had to come!” Wynn exclaimed with a joyful twinkle in his eye. 

Christine’s mother added, “And then on our way home we plan on stopping in on Henry and Amber in Benson Hills. Depending on how Amber is doing, I may stay until the new little one is born, although your father has to return to work soon, so he wouldn’t be able to stay with me. But we’re so excited to be here together!” 

“I’m so glad you’re here too! Fiona and I are going to be living together starting this weekend! I would love your help decorating!”

“Oh yeah,” Fiona chimed in. “Christine has told me how resourceful you are, Mrs. Delaney, and we would be so grateful for any help you can give us in how to make our little cabin feel like home!” 

Lucas watched the women get excited at the prospect of decorating their new residence, and he couldn’t help but smile. But he also realized that he needed to return to work soon. So he stealthily stepped around the women to stand next to Wynn. He spoke quietly. “Mr. Delaney, the ladies and I were headed to my shed where I’ve been storing my unused furniture. I own the saloon, you see, which is also the only boarding house in town, and I offered Fiona and Christine anything they like from the miscellaneous collection. But unfortunately, I need to complete my purchases at the mercantile and then return to work. Would you let them know that they’re welcome to go look whenever they like? I keep the key behind the bar, so if I’m not there, they can just ask whoever’s working to let them in.” 

Wynn shook his hand. “That’s very generous of you, Mr. Bouchard. I’ll pass your message along. And I imagine you’ll see my wife and I very soon. We were hoping to take a room at the Queen of Hearts, if you’ve got the space.” 

Lucas smiled at the gentleman before him, a man with a firm handshake who looked utterly unshakable, even with a slight limp. “I’ll keep one open for you. Just come on in whenever you’re ready.” 

“We’ll see you in a bit.”

“Have a good afternoon, Mr. Delaney.” Lucas nodded and began slowly making his way back to the mercantile. But before he made it far, he heard someone call out his name from behind him. 

“Lucas!” He turned, and Christine was waving to him. “We’ll come by later, if that’s alright?” 

He could hear the question in her voice and smiled warmly. “You’re always welcome, Christine!” Before he could think twice about it, he waved and continued on his way to the mercantile, the voices behind him growing softer as the distance grew between them. 

* * *

That evening, Beth and Wynn insisted on taking all of their family to dinner: Christine, Kevin, Elizabeth, little Jack, Nathan, and Allie. Because it was such a large group, Elizabeth recommended that they eat in the saloon rather than the cafe. Beth couldn’t help but sigh as she looked around the table at so many of her loved ones all together. 

“Now Nathan, how have you been? It’s been at least seven or eight years since I saw you last. What have you been up to?” Beth asked, looking at the handsome man beside her. 

“I think it’s been longer than that. I’ve had Allie here for eight years, and I think the last time I saw you was at least six months to a year before that.”

“So what have you been up to in the last nine years, Constable? I would have thought you would be an Inspector by now. You know, Henry’s up for a promotion.”

“Good for him; he deserves it. Henry’s a great mountie.” Nathan cleared his throat and glanced at Allie and then Elizabeth before responding. “I was offered an Inspector position in Union City last Christmas, but I turned it down. I decided that Hope Valley had more to offer my family than any promotion.” Beth could read between the lines enough to know that “Hope Valley” meant more than just the town; she suspected something romantic between Nathan and her niece. She would ask Elizabeth about it later. 

“Well, I’m glad you’re settling here. From everything I’ve heard, this is a wonderful town. And I’m glad you and Christine will be living in the same place again. I’ve always been grateful for your friendship with my children, Nathan. You’re so good for both of them.” Nathan shook his head, clearly uncomfortable, which just made Beth chuckle. “Son, it’s been over ten years since I first met you. You’d think you would be able to take a compliment by now,” she teased. 

Elizabeth overheard and joined in the conversation. “Nathan? Take a compliment? Never!” The young woman laughed, her eyes shining with mirth. Beth noted the way Elizabeth’s hand reached for his shoulder behind Allie’s chair. That was the third time since the group had sat down fifteen minutes ago. The way that her niece couldn’t help but smile at the young Mountie, or touch his arm, well, it spoke volumes about their relationship. They might not be in love already, but Beth was confident they were on their way. 

As the pair continued to joke and tease each other, Beth looked to her other side to see her husband talking seriously with the young blacksmith and their daughter. It sounded like Wynn was discussing the importance of community with other believers with the children. She didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, and her glass was nearly empty, so she quietly excused herself from the table and stepped up to the bar to get a refill of her lemonade. 

Lucas Bouchard was once again behind the bar. “Another lemonade Mrs. Delaney?” he asked, flashing that handsome carefree smile that probably made young women swoon. 

“Yes, thank you, Mr. Bouchard.” She handed her glass to him over the counter and waited as he poured. “So how did you end up in this business?”

“Well, I saw an ad selling this property, at the time it was the White Stallion Saloon, and I decided it was time for a new venture. I’ve spent a lot of time in hotels and boarding houses in my life, so in some ways it felt like the perfect business for me. At least, a very familiar one.” 

“You’ve traveled a lot in your life?” She asked as he handed the glass back to her. 

He nodded. “My parents gave me a beautiful gift in letting me experience cultures all over the world from a very young age. Of course, it also left me feeling a bit like a man without a home. I think that’s why I’m so drawn to this town. It feels more like a home than anywhere else I’ve ever been.”

Beth couldn’t help but smile at his words. “Christine said something very similar to me when she got here. She said this town feels like home in a way that no other place except Athabasca Landing ever has. She said it gets into your blood and changes your whole world.” 

There was an earnestness in his eyes and his voice when he responded. “It certainly does change your whole world, sometimes before you even realize it’s happening.” 

Beth paused a moment to take in the meaning of his words. “Does that mean you intend to stay here for the long term? You don’t have any plans to follow your parents wherever they are?”

Lucas halfheartedly shrugged one shoulder. “I love my parents, but I’m not overly fond of Toronto, which is where they live at the moment. And they rarely stay in one place all that long. Besides, Hope Valley is home. I don’t know if I could bear to leave for more than a few weeks at most.” 

Beth nodded. “I spent a bit of time in Toronto in my growing up years. I wasn’t fond of it either.” 

“Did you travel a lot?” Lucas asked, a spark in his eyes she’d not seen before. 

“A bit. Nowhere quite as exotic as you, I believe, but we made our way to London and Paris a few times, and we visited Rome once as well. In fact, I spent my seventeenth birthday in Paris. That was before they built that remarkable Eiffel Tower on the banks of la Seine. But l’arc de Triomphe was there, and perfectly stunning. My brother brought me a slice of cake while I was standing under it.” 

“That sounds like a lovely trip. I remember turning twenty in Berlin. It was a particularly cold year and--oh. You should probably return to your family. Emily just brought out everyone’s food, and your husband is looking for you.” 

Beth chuckled and turned around to see that sure enough, her sweet husband was looking calmly through the crowd for her. She waved to catch his attention, and saw his eyes light up when she did. Even after more than twenty years of marriage, the way her husband’s deep blue eyes caught hers--she sighed. He still made her weak at the knees. 

“You two are very much in love,” Lucas said, and Beth thought she heard just the faintest note of longing in his tone. 

She looked at him and smiled warmly. “Even after close to thirty years of marriage. It’s a wonderful gift, to have a love like ours. I hope both of my children, as well as all the other young people we’ve informally adopted have such a marriage.” She looked back at her husband, who was waiting patiently for her before beginning to eat. “Excuse me, Mr. Bouchard.”

“Enjoy your meal, Mrs. Delaney.” 

* * *

The next morning, Beth and Wynn wandered downstairs quite early. They were surprised to see that there was someone behind the bar. 

“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Delaney!” called Mr. Bouchard as he poured what smelled like coffee into a mug. “Can I interest you in something to drink? I’m afraid that’s all I can offer, but my coffee’s not half bad, and I make a lovely cup of tea as well.” 

Wynn nodded and voiced his thanks. “That’s very kind of you. My wife and I have been accustomed to a cup of coffee first thing in the morning for a long time.”

Beth chuckled. “When we first got married, it was one of the only things I was really good at.”

Wynn smiled at the recollection. “And we shared it each morning as we spent time in Scripture.”

“Mrs. Delaney was saying last night that you’ve been married almost thirty years. That’s wonderful. What a gift,” Mr. Bouchard responded as he handed each of them a cup of coffee. 

“It certainly is. I hope each of our children, official or otherwise, finds something equally sweet and sanctifying in his or her marriage.” Wynn heard his wife laugh her sweet, light laugh beside him. 

“I said the same thing to poor Mr. Bouchard last night,” she explained and Wynn laughed too. 

“Well, with twenty-seven years of marriage, it’s unsurprising that we think alike,” Wynn agreed. 

“It’s clear that your love has stood the test of time. Not every marriage can boast the same,” the bartender commented. 

“It’s a wonderful gift, to have a love like ours, but it’s not always easy,” Wynn heard his charming wife say. “And I don’t always  _ feel _ in love with him. I have to choose to love him some days--many days--even good days sometimes. But he’s the only one for me. God brought him into my life at exactly the right moment and in a very unexpected way. I don’t think I would have been ready for him if he’d come any earlier.”

Wynn nodded. “If Beth hadn’t moved west when she did, I probably never would have met her. God’s timing is perfect. And yes, love is much more a choice than a feeling. Your marriage won’t be strong if it relies only on your feelings. But of course, Beth, we probably shouldn’t be lecturing on marriage first thing in the morning to a man who barely knows us. My apologies Mr. Bouchard.” 

The dark haired man shook his head vehemently. “Don’t apologize. I hope to have a marriage like yours someday, Lord-willing, and I appreciate any advice I can get on the subject. And please call me Lucas. Everyone does around here.” 

“Well Lucas, I hope you find the right woman for you. But if your clock is correct, we should be on our way to meet Christine for breakfast. It’s been a pleasure.”

“It certainly has. And your coffee was delightful. Thank you,” Beth added. 

“Have a lovely day, you two,” Lucas said as he collected their empty cups from the bar. 

* * *

Much as she loved her parents, Christine was ready for a moment to herself by lunchtime. Her parents had come by the judge’s office that morning so her father could say hello to Bill and introduce him to her mother. The morning had mostly consisted of Bill and her father reminiscing about their time together on the force and catching up on what had happened in the last thirty years. Christine was surprised to hear that Bill had been married once and had even had a son. Either way, very little work got done, and Christine was feeling unsettled by the drastic deviation from her routine. So she decided to part ways from them and try to find some peace and solitude with a book at the saloon. 

Once she had ordered her lunch (beef stroganoff, the special of the day), Christine eagerly opened her newly acquired book, thanks to her mother,  _ Anne of Avonlea,  _ the sequel to  _ Anne of Green Gables _ . 

“Oh Anne,” she sighed, laughing at the young heroine’s latest mishap--selling her neighbor’s cow rather than her own by mistake. 

“I thought you had finished with Anne,” Lucas observed, and Christine looked up unsurprised. She often came to eat in the saloon with only the company of a book, and when Lucas was working, he made a point to come and ask about what she was reading. 

She smiled at him and closed the book, keeping her finger in her place. “I finished the first book. Apparently the author wrote several books about Anne. Mother brought me the second book and promised to send along the next two when she gets to Benson Hills.”

“So does that mean you’ve given up on Jane Austen?” Lucas asked coyly, although she knew full well that he knew how much she enjoyed the works of Ms. Austen. 

“Certainly not!” she exclaimed. “But I decided my re-read of  _ Northanger Abbey _ could wait a bit. Until I find out what happens to Anne.” Lucas handed her a glass of iced tea--her favorite. “Thank you.” She smiled softly. Lucas always managed to remember her favorite things and was a lively conversation partner when it came to books. Part of her wondered if  _ this  _ was part of why she was so inclined to spend her lunch break here every day--because of the man behind the bar. But she brushed the thought away as he asked his next question. 

“So what mischief has Anne found herself in now? Not drowning mice in desserts again, I hope.” His brown eyes shone as they both chuckled. 

“No, this time her cow has been trespassing in her neighbor’s field, which is naturally upsetting to the man. So when she thinks she sees her cow in his field again, she catches it and immediately sells it, only to later discover that it was in fact the neighbor’s cow, and not hers at all.” 

“Oh my. I take it this neighbor isn’t the smitten Mr. Blythe then?” 

Christine rolled her eyes at him amiably, sensing his gentle mockery of her deep love for the fictional Gilbert Blythe. “I know you think my hope that Anne and Gilbert will fall in love is silly, but you don’t have to tease me about it.” 

“I don’t think it’s silly; I just think you’re a romantic. And to be fair to me, I haven’t read anything by LM Montgomery, so this neighbor very well could be Gilbert for all I know. Disputes make for an interesting beginning to romance.” 

“And many a tragic end to romances too, I’m afraid,” Christine said with a sigh, immediately thinking back to her final conversation with Boyd. 

“My apologies, Christine. I didn’t mean to make you sad,” Lucas said, holding out a handkerchief to her, his face now bearing not a trace of the mirth that had characterized his expression only moments ago. 

Until he spoke, she didn’t realize that tears were falling down her cheeks, and that it had probably been several moments since her reflection had begun. “Oh no, don’t apologize Lucas,” she said, gently dabbing at her face with her hands, shaking her head at his offered handkerchief. “You had no reason to think such an innocent remark would mean anything to me.” Lucas didn’t respond, but he watched her carefully, a look of concern in his face. She cleared her throat and smiled. “I’m honestly fine. Don’t worry about it. And there are people waiting to be served. You should take care of your guests.” 

Lucas raised his eyebrows at her, but turned to see a few people watching him, clearly waiting on him to bring them their drinks. “I’ll be back in a moment with your food, Christine,” he said softly. Christine simply nodded, still holding her smile until he had fully turned away. 

When he was definitely gone, the smile slid off her face as she checked in on her emotions. She didn’t love Boyd anymore, not the way she had anyway, and she didn’t regret leaving him. She still felt sorry for him though, for how surprised and hurt he had been. And if she was honest, she felt sorry for herself, too, for the loss of all she had thought she was gaining. But she shook her head slightly and reminded herself of the truth: “I would have lost a lot more than I would have gained had I married him. It was for the best.” 

Christine reopened her book, and a few minutes later, Lucas brought out her lunch and left her to immerse herself in Avonlea. 

* * *

That evening, Kevin invited all three Delaneys over to have dinner and then go through whatever Mrs. LaMaye had left behind. So after a simple supper, Christine helped Kevin clean up while Beth and Wynn emptied the box they had brought onto the table. 

When Christine and her brother finally returned to the table, she was surprised at how much there was. There was a small stack of three or four books, a beautiful hand-knit shawl, a silver cross pendant on a chain, a small landscape painting, an amethyst ring, and an elegant white lace veil. “Oh my,” she said softly. 

“I didn’t think there would be this much,” said Kevin beside her. 

“Nor did I,” Christine added, but she saw her mother and father exchange sad looks. “What is it?” she asked. 

“This isn’t very much, not really. There is very little of your parents’ lives on this table,” Beth said softly. “It makes me sad that so little seems like so much to you both.” 

“Our home was once destroyed by a fire, in our second or third year of marriage. It was small, so we kept only the most necessary things with us. Most of our dearest things were kept elsewhere and saved,” Wynn added. “It’s unfortunate that so little was salvaged or saved from your parents’ house fire.”

“But we survived, which is more important than any items,” Christine said matter-of-factly. “And it’s a blessing to receive anything that once belonged to them.”

“I agree. Although I will admit that Aunt Allison had a few things of our mother’s as well. I don’t have them, but I grew up around them,” Kevin said. 

“Well, why don’t you children look through what’s here, while your father and I wash the dishes?” Beth asked gently. 

Christine walked around the table and pulled her mother into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

As she released her mother from her embrace, her father grabbed her arm and squeezed it. “We love you Christine, and we are so proud of the woman you have become.”

Christine turned back to her brother and their keepsakes from their parents. Gingerly, she picked up the book on top of the stack. “A cookbook,” she said, a hint of surprise in her voice. She flipped through it quickly until it stopped on an old photo. Without a thought, she tucked one finger into the book and closed it as she pulled the photo out with her other hand. “Oh. Kevin, look at this. Was this our father?” She held it out to her brother, who quickly became misty-eyed. 

“Yeah, that’s him. David LaMaye. Our father.”

“You look like him,” Christine said, examining the photo closely. “Your eyes are the same shape, and the way your hair falls--it’s obvious that you’re related.”

“You look like him too,” Kevin responded. “Those ears. That smile. And I think you have his coloring, although you can’t tell  _ that _ from the photo.” 

After another moment, Christine put the photo down to examine the rest of the items on the table. There was another cookbook, a copy of  _ A Christmas Carol  _ by Charles Dickens, and  _ Evelina  _ by Fanny Burney. 

She examined the jewelry next. The silver pendant was small but beautiful. Simple and elegant. And the ring. It was a gold ring with a small round amethyst set in it. The shawl was of a strong construction and made of a thick blue wool. It was beautiful and functional simultaneously, but clearly old and out of fashion. 

The next thing she picked up was the veil. It was stunning and very long, made of a delicate floral lace that was somehow still in pristine condition. As a little girl, she had imagined a veil like this for her wedding. She suddenly felt very much that she wanted to wear this veil on her wedding day, if ever that day came. The feeling caught her off guard, and she had to take a deep breath before finally looking at the painting, the last item from her parents. It was of a particular tree, growing tall beside a river. There were mountains in the background and it was beautifully done. The painter was very skilled, and Christine was curious who it was. When she looked in the bottom right corner, she saw the signature: D.K. LaMaye

“Our father painted this,” she said in unbelief. “I never knew he was a painter.” 

Kevin squinted as he looked at the signature she was pointing out to him. “Wow. I don’t think I knew that either. He was amazing.” 

“Yes he was.” She took a deep breath as she set it back down on the table. “So, is there anything that you feel particularly attached to?” 

“Well…” Kevin paused, and Christine could see that this was probably going to be a more awkward conversation than she had initially expected. 

“Go ahead. We’ll figure it out. What is it that you want?”

“I was thinking how I would love to give our mother’s ring to the woman I marry,” Kevin said softly, his expression more vulnerable than she’d yet seen on him. 

“I think that sounds lovely, Kevin. I was thinking how much I’d like to have my mother’s veil for my wedding day, should it ever come.” 

Kevin smiled and nodded. “That sounds perfect.” 

* * *

After almost twenty minutes of deliberation, the pair had decided that Kevin would keep their mother’s ring, one of the cookbooks, the photograph,  _ A Christmas Carol,  _ and the shawl, and Christine would keep the veil,  _ Evelina,  _ the other cookbook, the cross pendant, and the painting. As Christine walked back to Elizabeth’s with these small items, she couldn’t help but feel a little closer to her parents and her brother. 


	8. A Real Home

On Thursday, Fiona was walking down Main Street to meet Christine at the saloon when she almost ran into Ned Yost. He looked disappointed at the contents of the letter he was reading, and he barely looked up at Fiona, even when she said, "Oh! Sorry, Ned!"

Ned finally glanced up at the woman he had nearly collided with. "Oh, hi Fiona, I didn't see you there."

"Clearly. Is everything alright Ned?" she asked, a note of genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh yes, everything's fine. I'm just not sure what to do with the store now. Apparently, being mayor means I have to devote at least a couple of days a week to mayoral business, and with Katie living in Buxton with her new husband now, I don't have anyone who knows the mercantile as well as I do. I wrote to my son, who's several years older than Katie, but he can't come home either. So I find I'm in a bit of a pickle. I think I'll have to close the store a few days a week, which I don't want to do, but I don't think I've got a choice."

"Well, what if I did it?" Fiona offered. "I don't have a job and I spent a _lot_ of time in the mercantile while I worked the switchboard. I know it pretty well."

"You do, don't you?" Ned mused. "I guess that would work. And I can take a couple days to train you, since mayoral business isn't supposed to consume all of my time…"

"I love people, and I'm good with numbers. And I already know how to use the telegraph. I operated one before I got started at the telephone company." Fiona gave Ned a confident smile.

Ned smiled back, albeit a smidge uncertainly. "Well, why don't you come by the mercantile tomorrow morning? You can get started learning the ropes you don't already know. Is 8 am okay?"

She nodded excitedly. "That sounds perfect! Thank you Ned!" She looked down at her watch and realized she was late to meet Christine. "I'm so sorry, I've got to go, I'm late. But I'll see you tomorrow!"

Ned smiled at her and waved her on. "I'll see you bright and early. Have a good afternoon!"

And with that, Fiona raced down the street, a skip in her step she didn't realize she'd been missing.

* * *

Christine arrived at the saloon ten minutes early-absolutely typical for her. But Bill had let her take the afternoon off from work, and she had nothing else to do until she was supposed to meet Fiona, so she walked in, ordered an iced tea, and took a seat at the bar, pulling out her book. She was about halfway through _Anne of Avonlea_ by now, and was so enjoying all of Anne's continued adventures that she couldn't help but laugh out loud at Anne's unsurprising response to a difficult neighbor.

"Now what has dear Anne Shirley done today to elicit such genuine laughter from you, Miss Delaney?"

Christine stuck her thumb in her novel and closed it, looking up at good old Lucas Bouchard. "The Improvement Society I told you about a few days ago? This time, they're trying to whitewash fences, you know, to improve appearances. One man, just to be difficult, told them he was going to let a neighbor paint advertisements on his fence and make a little money from it, which naturally got Anne's dander up. Well, that man just came to Anne and apologized, claiming that 'he just wanted to see how far it would go,' although I'm not sure I totally buy that. I think Rachel Lynde got to him. And Anne was classically cold and a little self-righteous. It just made me laugh because that feels like how I would have wanted to respond."

"I'm glad you're reading about Anne, Christine. I feel as though I discover something new about _you_ every time you bring her into the saloon." Lucas's eyes twinkled, and Christine felt herself blush.

"Well, that's the best of reading, I think. You get to picture how you would respond to someone else's life circumstances. You get to see and understand how and why someone else responds differently than you might. I always like to imagine myself being as brave as Anne Shirley or Lizzie Bennet. Even though I'm not really."

"When the time comes and it matters most, I'm sure you will be," Lucas reassured her confidently. "So what brings you in this afternoon? You're here a bit later than normal for lunch."

"Oh, I'm supposed to meet Fiona here in a few minutes. If you don't mind, we were hoping to take a look at some of your spare furniture this afternoon."

"Of course I don't mind. And since you stopped by at such a quiet moment, I'll take you back myself."

"That sounds perfect," Christine smiled widely. "I know we could certainly use your creative eye in our furnishing plans." Christine was sure she saw his cheeks flush slightly at the compliment, and was glad to know she wasn't the only one who reacted to compliments. She looked at the clock on the wall. "Huh, Fiona's usually pretty punctual. I wonder what's keeping her," she wondered out loud, before explaining, "She was supposed to be here a couple of minutes ago."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be here soon. I can't imagine anyone standing you up." As the words fell from Lucas's mouth, in walked Fiona, a little out of breath. "See?"

"That was almost prophetic, Mr. Bouchard," Christine said, a mildly impressed tone in her voice.

Lucas chuckled. "I do what I can, ma'am."

"Fiona, what's going on? You look excited about something?" Christine asked as her friend arrived next to her and Lucas stepped away behind the bar.

"I got a job! Ned Yost needs someone to watch the mercantile while he's being the mayor, and I start tomorrow!"

"Fiona! That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" Christine exclaimed happily. "I know you've been feeling a little restless without regular work."

"I know! I'm just glad to have somewhere to be most days!" Fiona replied.

Just then, Lucas arrived holding a key and a glass of ice water. He handed the cold beverage to Fiona and smiled. "I thought you might want something to drink before we go out and dig through old furniture. It's a bit dusty back there."

"Thank you! I practically ran here from the mercantile!" Fiona took a large swig from her glass. "Okay, give me one more moment, and I'll be ready to go!"

* * *

Christine and Fiona had managed to salvage a table, four chairs, and two lamps for their common space from Lucas's unused furniture. On top of that, Christine claimed a bed frame that was clearly rather old, but sturdy and in her opinion, simply beautiful. Lucas had agreed.

"You're right, Christine. It is lovely. I had forgotten that was back there. It was among the previous owner's possessions that he left behind in his private living quarters. I had my own furniture already, so I stuck it back here."

"Well, it's too pretty for me to use," Christine had responded. "You should put it in one of your guest rooms."

"Nonsense Christine. You should have it. Besides, all the guest rooms already have beds. It should be used, and all the better to be used by someone who really enjoys it."

She shrugged. "Well, alright then," she finally accepted. "Thank you."

When they had picked out each piece that they wanted, Lucas offered to arrange for the furniture to be moved to their new home the following day.

"Oh, no, that's okay. My father was going to come by and help us this evening, and I think Nathan and Kevin have agreed to assist us as well," Christine protested.

"Well in that case, I suppose I'll just have to help them when they come," Lucas responded with a grin.

Christine tried to convince him that his help wouldn't be necessary, but nothing she said could change his mind. Lucas simply _had_ to be a part of getting the women settled into their home.

Throughout their afternoon together, Fiona had wondered if there might be something brewing between her two companions. The way they spoke in _this_ interaction made her confident that there was.

* * *

Wynn and Beth had been in town for a couple of days. Wynn had gotten to spend some time with Bill, Beth had been a huge help to Christine and Fiona as they ordered furniture and got their new home in order. So Nathan was gratified but not surprised that Wynn sought him out and asked him to join him for lunch on Friday.

Because of the decisions his biological father had made, Nathan had always sought out mentors who he felt were almost like a second father to him. Wynn Delaney was one of the best of them. Nathan always knew that Wynn cared for him deeply, and he was a man who Nathan trusted with almost anything, including his very life. So he looked forward to sitting down alone with him and catching up, perhaps even gleaning some wisdom from the older man.

"So tell me honestly, how are you doing, Nathan?" Wynn asked when their food had arrived.

Nathan paused before answering. This was one thing about all of the Delaneys that he cherished. When they asked him a question about himself or his opinion, they really cared about the answer, but they were also respectful enough not to push him if he didn't want to share. And he always knew, particularly with Wynn, that whatever he said, he was safe. "I'm doing really well, Wynn." He took a deep breath. "Hope Valley has been good for my family. For what seems like the first time, Allie is really happy, she really likes her classmates and she loves her teacher," he smiled and paused. "I'm also pretty fond of her teacher. As of a couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth and I are courting."

He watched Wynn's face for signs of surprise or disapproval, but saw none. In fact, Wynn looked a little _too_ unsurprised at this announcement. "Did she tell you already?" he asked, and Wynn laughed.

"No, but Beth suspected. She gets a sense sometimes, and it's usually right."

"I should have known." Nathan grinned. "Well, feel free to tell her she was absolutely correct. We've had dinner alone together once, and we've taken a couple of walks through the woods and stopped for coffee a few times. But we both have children, so we don't have a whole lot of time that we can afford to spend alone together. So I was thinking that maybe we should have dinner-all four of us. Do you think that it's too soon, or perhaps too serious if we've only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks?"

Nathan anxiously took a sip of his water while he waited for Wynn's response. His companion looked pensive. After a moment, he responded. "You're in a very different position than Beth and I were in when we met. I think if you're being purposeful in pursuing her because you think she could be the woman you want to marry, you ought to have that conversation with her. The two of you can decide together whether involving your children is too serious for the present stage of your relationship. And if you're not being purposeful in courting my niece, I suggest you think through why that might be." Wynn smiled wryly at him.

Nathan smiled. "Of course I'm courting her because I think I might want to marry her. I don't have the energy to court women I'm not interested in, especially with Allie around."

"I'm glad to hear it, although I'm not surprised. Beth always thought you would have to find a very special woman before you even thought about courtship." Wynn took a bite of his chicken. "Now, how are your folks? You hear from your father at all?"

Nathan nodded. "He was released from prison recently and came looking for me. He stayed in Hope Valley for a little bit, and we've reconciled. He writes to Allie every week now. I think he's enjoying working with his hands."

"I'm glad to hear it. Man was created to work. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were called to care for what was given to them. Idleness isn't good for anyone."

Nathan nodded, and the pair fell silent. Nathan was glad that Wynn didn't feel compelled to fill the space between them. He had always enjoyed just sitting with him.

They were still eating silently together when Clara walked over with a pitcher of ice water. "Can I top off your drinks, gentlemen?" she asked with a smile.

Wynn smiled at her. "Thank you, that would be lovely." Clara picked up his glass and refilled it.

"Nathan?"

"Sure, thanks Clara." As Clara picked his glass up as well, Nathan decided to introduce his friends to each other. "Clara, have you met Inspector Wynn Delaney? He's Christine's father and Elizabeth's uncle," he explained.

Clara's smile brightened as she set down Nathan's glass. "I haven't, but I've met your wife. It's great to meet you, Inspector." She held out her hand to him.

Wynn shook it. "Just Wynn, and it's nice to meet you too Mrs. Flynn. Between Christine, Elizabeth, and Nathan, I've heard many good things about you."

"Just call me Clara. And I've heard lots of good things about you too. How long are you and Beth in town for?"

"We're not completely sure yet, but at least until next Wednesday."

"Well good, then I'm sure I'll see you around. I know Bill brought you gentlemen your food, but he's back in his chambers, so if you need anything else, just holler at me."

* * *

"Even though we're still waiting on the things we ordered, I think this cabin is really starting to look and feel like a home!" Christine exclaimed. She, Fiona, and Beth had spent the morning settling the two young women into their new home. The new roommates were determined to move in that day, despite the awaited catalogue purchases that included mattresses for each of them. All of the furniture they already possessed had been moved in by Kevin, Nathan, Wynn, and Lucas on Thursday. Besides the furniture given to them by Lucas, a few other members of the community had offered them a rocking chair, two arm chairs, and an armoire. Fiona had already owned a bit of furniture too, so they had enough to settle in until their purchases arrived. And Beth had helped them choose material for curtains and tablecloths and napkins that she had already started sewing for them.

Fiona hung a photo of her whole family from just before she left San Francisco on the wall. "I agree. It feels like _our_ home, and I'm glad for it! I can see us being very happy here. Just think, dinners with friends over, quiet evenings with a good book by the fire, lazy Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee on the porch."

"Maybe a romantic dinner for two with a certain blacksmith while I'm conveniently out?" Christine teased gently.

Fiona blushed. "I'm not a very good cook, but it _would_ be nice to be able to have Kevin over, since he's cooked for me a time or two," she said with a smile.

Beth looked up from her seat at the table, where she was working on one of the curtains. "I was a terrible cook when I first left home. But my sister-in-law Mary taught me a lot of really simple but delicious recipes. I'd love to share them with you, if you're interested, Fiona."

Fiona sighed. "That would be wonderful, Beth. Thank you!"

"She is a great cook! And an excellent teacher! Everything I know how to make is thanks to her!" Christine chimed in. "Mum, make sure to teach her your fried squash recipe! It's so delicious! One of my favorite foods!"

Beth smiled at her daughter. "I'll teach her anything I can that she's interested in," she agreed.

"That's so kind of you. I really appreciate it! My mom never really needed to teach me. With several sisters both older and younger, I was never needed in the kitchen, so I never really learned much."

"Perhaps this afternoon we could get started in your brand new kitchen. I know you girls are still waiting on some baking dishes, but I suspect that someone in town would be willing to loan us the pans we'd need," Beth suggested.

"That sounds perfect! Our first meal in our new home, made by us!" Fiona exclaimed.

"Lovely! Christine, do you have your recipe box with you?" Beth asked.

"Of course I do! And I've got every recipe you gave me, and then some. Aunt Mary gave me her favorites and Kathleen has created some of her own that they shared with me before I left Calgary."

"Ooh, I'd love to see what Kathleen invented. Goodness knows, she was always a creative soul. When I first moved west, she was about six and fawned all over me. And your father for that matter. I imagine she's grown into a fine young lady."

"She is," Christine responded, digging through a box that held the few kitchen items she owned. After a moment, she pulled out a beautiful wooden box with a hinged lid that opened backwards. It was made of an ornately carved dark wood, and it shone in the bright light of the late morning. "Here it is! The recipe box Father gave to me when I was, what fifteen?"

"That sounds about right," Beth nodded. "Because you'd admired mine so much, he thought you might like to have one of your own."

"Well, he was right. I love it. Something about it just feels like home."

Her mother smiled at her. "Because it was made with love, and those recipes inside have always been made with love."

"Well, it's a beautiful recipe box. My mother never used one. Most recipes she found and liked, she tucked into her cookbooks or wrote in the margins of the pages."

Beth chuckled. "I used to do that too, until Wynn made me my recipe box when we first moved to Athabasca Landing. When we were putting my books into boxes, he accidentally dropped my favorite cookbook, and all of my recipes tucked inside flew out. He thought I could use a recipe box instead."

"I would love to have one someday. Of course, I need to be able to follow a recipe first, for it to be at all useful," Fiona joked.

"Well then I guess we should get started. Christine, do you mind if we flip through your collection and pick out a few dishes to make for supper tonight?" Beth asked.

"Let's do it!" Christine exclaimed, and she carried the box over to the table, where her mother and roommate were waiting.

* * *

That evening while Allie was working on her homework, Nathan made his way over to Elizabeth's home. He had thought a lot about what Wynn had said, and he wanted to discuss it with her. As he knocked on the door, Nathan pulled at his belt loop anxiously. But Elizabeth answered the door quickly, and as she opened it, Nathan felt his nerves settle a bit.

"Nathan, what a surprise!" Elizabeth said, her eyes brightening as she pulled the door open. "I just put Jack down for bed, so we'll have to be quiet, but would you like to come in? I was just about to make a pot of peppermint tea." She pulled the door even more open and stepped aside, leaving space for Nathan to come in.

"Thanks, Elizabeth. Tea sounds perfect."

Elizabeth closed the door behind him and then turned and walked back toward the pot of water on her stove that was boiling. She poured the water while Nathan opened one of her cabinets and pulled out a second cup and saucer. Elizabeth grinned when she saw what he'd done. "I was just about to grab that for you."

Nathan shrugged. "I figured I would save you the trouble, I hope you don't mind."

Elizabeth shook her head as she poured tea into their cups. "Not at all. I'm glad you're comfortable in my home." After she had poured the tea, she gestured to her sitting area around the fireplace. "Let's go sit in the armchairs. It's more comfortable and less formal than the kitchen table."

Nathan nodded and picked up his cup of tea, following her over to a slightly worn leather chair.

They sat together in silence for a moment before Elizabeth looked up at him over her cup. "So was there something particular that brought you through my door this evening?"

Nathan smiled. "As a matter of fact, there was. I was talking to your uncle this afternoon, and it got me to thinking."

"Oh? What about?"

"About us. Our relationship." Nathan looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes. They widened a little bit, but her face was otherwise calm. "I was wondering what you might think of having a meal with all four members of our families. Because the fact is, I'm courting you because I think you have all the qualities I would hope for in a wife. I'm not taking this lightly, and if things go the way I hope they will, our kids would be siblings eventually, so we might as well get them used to the idea. But of course, I know that's a big thing to discuss, so I didn't want to just spring it on you, but give you time to really consider what that could look like for us."

Elizabeth's face had remained calm and unaffected as Nathan spoke, and as he finished his speech and took a sip of his tea, he watched her face carefully, hoping to get some indication of what she might think.

He thought there was a slight smile in her eyes, but she took a sip of tea at the precise moment he did, so he couldn't tell for certain if it was genuine. But as she set her cup down into its saucer, he saw her wide smile and his heart skipped a beat. "I think that sounds lovely, Nathan. I can't imagine anything more wonderful."

Nathan took a deep breath. "I'm glad you think so. I wasn't sure if it might be too soon for that, or even to have this conversation, but Wynn told me as long as my intentions were honorable, it was best just to be straightforward with you."

Elizabeth chuckled a bit. "It's funny to me that you asked my Uncle Wynn for advice about courting me."

Nathan chuckled a bit too. "Yes, well, I've asked your Uncle Wynn for advice on every subject, from faith to family to females and everything in between. He's a good man, and he and Henry have both been very good friends to me."

Elizabeth's smile softened. "I'm glad you've had them in your life."

"So am I. And I'm glad to have _you_ in my life too."

Elizabeth blushed. "Your time in Hope Valley has brought joy to a lot of people. I'm glad we're both counted among them."

* * *

The remainder of Wynn and Beth Delaney's time in Hope Valley flew by. Beth continued to help Christine and Fiona with the trimmings of their new home, and Wynn made himself useful all over town, doing everything from fixing Elizabeth's unsteady rocking chair to reading over some legal documents for Lucas at Gowen Petroleum. Somehow, the couple managed to meet everyone in Hope Valley, and when they got on the stage coach to leave the following Wednesday, the whole town was sorry to see them go.

On their last morning, Christine made breakfast for her parents in her newly established kitchen. Fiona left for work just as the Delaneys were arriving.

"Oh, I'm sorry not to have more time, but I have to run. I'm late to the mercantile, and Ned has some sort of mayoral business to attend to, so I'm supposed to open up," she exclaimed with a quick hug to each of them.

"That's alright, dear. We were so glad to meet you while we've been here," Beth replied. "Keep working on your cooking and you'll be a pro in no time!"

"You girls make sure to look out for each other," Wynn said with a smile.

"Of course, Wynn. It was so good to meet you both. I'll see you later!" Fiona said with a wave as she rushed out the door.

"She's a delight," Beth commented as the door closed. "Her temperament is quite different from yours, Chrissie, but I think you'll be good for each other."

"I think you're right," Christine nodded. "I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm really glad Fiona and I are living together." Just then, she brought the pans over to the table from the stove. "I made my specialty: scrambled eggs with spinach, seasoned potatoes, bacon, and blueberry scones."

"Oh sweetheart, that looks wonderful!"

"It does!" her father agreed. "Would you like to lead us in prayer, asking the Lord to bless our meal?"

"I'd be honored if you would, Father. Since it's our last meal together for a while."

So Christine and her parents bowed their heads and all held hands while her father prayed. And when he finished, they talked, laughed, and ate until they were full. When they'd finished eating, they began tidying up the kitchen and cleaning the dishes.

"Now, I made extra scones for your trip. And I've got sandwiches packed for you as well. And Clara brought over cookies as a gift for helping her out with her problems with the stove in the Cafe, and they're packed here as well," Christine said, handing her mother a cloth bag filled with all sorts of goodies.

"Thank you Christine. That's very thoughtful of you," Beth said gently, taking the bag from her. "I'm sure we'll be especially grateful for it when we get hungry on the trip back."

"Are you both ready to head back into town? The stage should be here in about an hour, and I think there might be a few more people who want to say goodbye."

"We certainly are," Wynn said certainly as he dried the last plate. He held out his arm to his daughter, who took it.

"Then I suppose we should go," Christine said a bit sadly.

Beth took Christine's other arm once the trio was outside, and they began walking into town. But before they had gone far, Nathan rode up on his horse.

"Oh good, I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to make sure I got to say goodbye before you left!" he called from a slight distance. He hopped down from his horse's back and jogged over to the group. "Do you mind if I walk back into town with you?" he asked, specifically looking at Christine.

"Of course you should join us! You're practically a Delaney, Nathan!" she responded with a smile.

Nathan walked on the other side of Wynn, and the two men were quickly engrossed in a discussion about work. Beth took the opportunity for a private word with her daughter.

"So, Lucas Bouchard seems like a fine man," she said quietly enough that the men didn't hear her.

Christine blushed. "Are you trying to suggest something?" she asked, embarrassed but also a bit defiant.

"Not at all, darling. I just wanted to say that I think he's a good man. I sense a bit of hesitance in you, after Boyd. I know that you were so hurt when you decided to call off the wedding, and that you're inclined to protect yourself above all. But not all men are wrong for you. A man who loves the Lord and treats you with the respect and care that you deserve is a man worth letting your guard down for. That's all I'm saying."

Christine looked at her mother. "You know me well." She took a deep breath. "I'll miss having you around to look out for me. I'll miss your advice, and the steadiness of you and Dad's presence."

"We miss you a great deal too, Chrissie. But I trust that this is the right place for you in your current season of life."

"I know you're right, but it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier."

"Of course not, but your father and I are always with you in spirit. We pray for you and your brother daily. And we're simply a letter or telegram away, or even a telephone call in an emergency. You can always call the Mountie Station in Athabasca Landing if something serious happens."

"Yes ma'am, I know." Christine smiled and paused. "You really think Lucas is a good man?" Her blush deepened.

"I do. It's clear that he loves the Lord very much, and he's shown a lot of kindness to you and us. And he's very respectful. A true gentleman. And he's interesting. He's well-read and been all over the world. I've really enjoyed getting to know him."

"Yes, I enjoy him quite a bit too," Christine admitted.

Beth hummed her acknowledgement. "I'm not telling you to throw yourself at him. He may not be the right man for you. All I want to do is encourage you to be aware of your feelings, and while you shouldn't make every decision solely based upon them, they are a gift from God that should not be ignored or covered up. Don't forget that."

"I won't, Mother. I promise."

"Good." Beth squeezed her daughter's arm. "Well, there is quite a crowd, isn't there?" she observed with a small laugh. There were five or six people standing in front of the saloon, including Jesse, Lucas, Elizabeth, and Fiona.

"You and Father have become very popular in your short stay here," Christine said with a smile. "And I can't say I'm surprised. You two are quite appealing."

"Oh nonsense. We just do the best we can and trust the Lord with the rest."

Elizabeth saw the quartet walking towards them and waved. They picked up their pace and were there in a moment.

"It was so good to see you both," she cried as she pulled Beth into a hug. "I love you both so much! Aunt Beth, thank you for watching Jack the other night! And for cooking for me and sitting with me. I'm so grateful for your wisdom and patience! And all of your advice about my students!" Elizabeth turned to her uncle next, pulling him into an embrace as well. "And Uncle Wynn, I'm glad you got to meet little Jack! I wish you'd known his father, but it means the world to me that you know my son. We'll come and visit you sometime, if it's okay, because I want Jack to have as many good men in his life as possible! And I really appreciate your fixing my rocking chair. Jack loves to be rocked to sleep during thunderstorms and I was getting a little worried about it."

"We're so glad we got to see you, Elizabeth," Beth said with a smile. "And you're both always welcome in our home! Just give us a little notice and we'll have the guest room ready and waiting for you!"

"Always," Wynn agreed. "We love you dearly, and we're glad you and Christine are in Hope Valley together now."

"So am I. Christine is already an important part of our town," Elizabeth said.

"And we wouldn't have it any other way," Lucas added, stepping forward to stand next to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to get back to Gowen Petroleum. I just wanted to say goodbye and give you these." Lucas handed Beth and Wynn each a thermos. "I thought you might want some coffee and lemonade for the road."

Wynn shook Lucas's hand. "That's very generous of you, Lucas. We appreciate all of your hospitality since we've been here, and all the ways you've helped out Christine. We're glad to have met you."

Lucas smiled. "And I, you."

Then Beth pulled him into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Lucas."

"Yes ma'am," he said warmly. "You be safe on your trip out of town."

"Oh, we quite enjoy travelling together. We'll be fine," Beth said with a smile as they separated.

"Well, I've got to be going. Until next time." Lucas nodded to the departing visitors before taking off down the street toward the oil company.

They said their farewells to the rest of the group before finally alighting into the stagecoach, which had arrived while they were chatting. Before it pulled away, Beth exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot!" She pulled out an envelope and an ornate wooden box. "Christine, this is for you. Your brother had it addressed to me while we were here, with specific instructions not to pass it along until we left." Beth handed her daughter the envelope. Then she turned to Fiona. "And Fiona, this is for you," she said, holding out the recipe box. "I thought since you're now a skilled cook, you need somewhere to keep all of those recipes you learned. Wynn made the box with a bit of scrap lumber from the mill, and I copied down all of my recipes for you, so even long after you and Christine part ways, you'll always have the Delaney recipes, as well as any others you collect throughout life."

Fiona took the box and her eyes began tearing up. "Beth, Wynn, this is so thoughtful of you. Thank you so very much."

Beth smiled and squeezed the young woman's hand. "You're an honorary Delaney now. You've always got a place in our home and at our table," she said affectionately.

"Thank you both."

Then the coach began moving, and Fiona stepped back.

"We love you Christine! Goodbye!" Wynn called through the window as they rolled away.

"Goodbye everyone!" Beth added.

Christine watched and waved until they were out of sight, and then she reached for her handkerchief to dry her eyes.

Fiona saw Christine's movement and put her arm around her. "I know you'll miss them."

Christine nodded. "Yeah. But Hope Valley's my family now too." She smiled as they turned to walk away.

* * *

That evening, Christine finally found a moment to herself and opened the letter from Henry that her mother had handed her.

"Dear Chrissie,

"I'm sure you're feeling a little sad with Mum and Dad leaving today, so I wanted to remind you what you always used to remind me every time I left home: you are always my sister, no matter how far you may be. You are always Mum and Dad's daughter, and we are all three so proud of you. And since you're living so close to us now, Amber tells me that you have to come visit us sometime after the baby's born. She wants your little niece or nephew to know and love their Aunt Chrissie. And Danny's been asking when you're coming back for a visit, too. So remember how important you are to our family, even when we're farther apart than we might like.

"So much love,

"Henry"


	9. Life Goes On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm sorry for how long this has taken (even if I've been told not to apologize for taking a long time!). I really love this story, my life has just been pretty chaotic lately, and I haven't had much time to write. Also, this chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but it just felt ready the way it is. I hope you enjoy it!! Definitely comment your thoughts!!

The Delaneys had been gone for over a week, and Christine was feeling established in her new routines. She got up early and made breakfast, spent time with the Lord on her front porch, went to work, had lunch at her desk or in the saloon, went home and had dinner with Fiona. But weekends were different. They had decided to create a new tradition for Sunday lunches. Each week, they would invite a family or a couple of friends to come and eat with them in their home as a way to christen their kitchen and get to know people better. Their first lunch had been with the Thorntons and the Flynns, and it had been a lot of fun. Little Jack was so sweet, and it had been a good time to get to know Clara and Jesse better, especially since Christine didn’t know Jesse particularly well at all. She learned a little about their backgrounds and how they got to know each other. She learned about former members of the town who had long since left, people like Pastor Frank Hogan and Mayor Abigail Stanton and her son Cody, and there were lots of stories about Jack Thornton. It was a perfect afternoon, and Christine was looking forward to the next one. 

It was Saturday, and Christine had decided to spend a bit of her morning in the library before heading over to the mercantile to pick up what she and Fiona needed for lunch the next day. They were supposed to have Nathan, Allie, and Kevin over, and Christine was excited to make her mother’s fried chicken and roasted pepper salad. Christine was so occupied thinking about her menu and shopping list that she didn’t hear the door open or the footsteps walking towards her. She didn’t notice anything until someone tapped her on the shoulder, startling her out of her preoccupation and making her jump. 

She turned to see Lucas Bouchard looking simultaneously amused and guilty. “I’m so sorry to startle you, Ms. Delaney. It wasn’t my intention, I assure you. I thought you heard me walk in. 

Christine pressed her hand firmly against her heart and chuckled. She could still feel her heart racing from her scare. “I should have been paying more attention, Mr. Bouchard. If I had been, I would have heard you and greeted you when you came in. I was just making a mental list and was concentrating on remembering this one particular recipe, so I didn’t hear the door open.”

Lucas laughed and Christine was glad to see that he didn’t seem offended. One of her old roommates at her boarding house in Calgary always seemed to be offended when Christine was startled by her. 

“What’s the recipe for?” Lucas questioned when he had stopped laughing. 

“My mother’s fried chicken. The spices she uses are _incredible_. Honestly, better than Bill’s, although don’t tell him I said so. Fiona and I are having Kevin and the Grants over for lunch tomorrow, and that’s what we’re serving.”

“That sounds like a charming way to spend an afternoon,” Lucas reflected. 

“Fiona and I have decided to make it a tradition. On Sunday afternoons, we invite a few friends over for a meal to get to know people better and christen our home. I think we’re planning on keeping it up at least until we’ve had everyone over once. Sunday lunch was something my parents always made a big deal out of. Every Sunday, they would have as many people over for lunch as they could fit at our table. It was their way of making their community their family.”

When Lucas gave her a questioning glance, she explained. “Mum and Dad couldn’t have kids of their own, but family was really important to them. So they created their own family. They got really involved at church, from Mother playing the piano and Father singing in the choir to inviting others into their home for meals. It was their way of making people feel like family. They led Sunday school too, which led them to my brother Henry, who was abused and neglected by his biological family. So they took him in when he was about twelve. Then about a year later, the pastor heard about the fire that killed my parents and (he thought) my brother. He knew Mum and Dad were caring and generous and asked if they would take me in. And then we were four.”

“That’s beautiful. And utterly unsurprising, given what I’ve seen in your parents. They are a remarkable pair, truly. I hope to be as devoted to my spouse as they are.” 

Christine nodded. “Yes, they are quite special. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” 

“I can see that,” Lucas responded warmly. “It’s obvious how much you love and respect them. You have a unique bond with them, one I’m a bit envious of, to be honest.”

“I thought you and your parents are close,” Christine commented, taking a half step toward Lucas.

Lucas paused and furrowed his brow for a moment before responding. “We are, in our way. But my parents don’t talk to me about marriage and life the way your parents did. I mean, my father told me about falling in love with my mother and waiting for her to be willing to consider him, but they never shared with me the hard things in their marriage. Your parents barely knew me and they spoke freely about the challenges of their marriage. I can only imagine what they’ve shared with you and your brother over the years.”

“You know, I’d never thought about that before. But you’re right. Mum and Dad have always been really good at communicating with each other, even in conflict. At least as long as I’ve known them. And because they could communicate things with each other, they could communicate them to us when things had been resolved, or at least addressed.” 

Lucas nodded. “I hope to be able to communicate like that with the woman I marry.” 

“It’s a serious thing, choosing the person you’ll spend your life with. It’s not a choice to be made lightly,” Christine added, absentmindedly rubbing the empty spot on her ring finger that had once carried Boyd’s engagement ring. 

“You were engaged once?” Lucas asked, although it was more of a statement than a question. 

Christine felt her cheeks redden, and she looked down at the book in her hands instead of at her companion. “I was.”

Lucas’s voice was surprisingly gentle when he responded. “I’m sorry that it ended.”

Christine looked up at him. “I’m not. I was for a while, but not anymore. Boyd was my boss’s son. He was charming and exciting, and I was so swept up in all of that. Not to mention that Mr. Kingsley intentionally threw us together all the time. But I let myself get so caught up in the superficial niceties that I missed the most important signs that something was wrong. Boyd and I were vitally different in the foundations of our lives. I knew that my most core principles were not things that he had any interest in. He mocked my desire to be a part of a church community. He didn’t respect the boundaries I set in our relationship. He refused to accept my need for deep relationships with my family. And I still agreed to marry him.” She took a deep breath. “I’m just glad I realized what a mistake it would have been before I actually married him. I’m not a very bold woman by nature, but in the end I knew that I couldn’t go through with a wedding to a man who didn’t really love the Lord.”

Even when she stopped talking, Lucas stayed silent, watching her face closely. Christine smiled ruefully and shrugged. “It’s not something I could ever recommend, but that experience taught me a lot of things, and I’m glad to have had my parents to fall back on when I needed them.” 

“How long has it been?” Lucas asked cautiously. 

“It’s been almost two years since I first met Boyd. We were engaged about six months later for about 8 months. It's under a year since I saw him last. I went back to my parents’ home and then went to Benson Hills to stay with my brother and his wife and stepson when they were first posted there, and then back to Mum and Dad in Athabasca Landing for about a few months until I got a letter from Henry telling me that he thought my long-lost brother was here in Hope Valley.”

“Do you still love him?” Lucas’s face had lost the cautious expression and was now just probing, gauging her reaction. 

Christine paused for a moment and closed her eyes, tilting her head a little. But before she could answer, the door banged open. 

“There you are Chrissie! Fiona told me you might be here. Oh! Hi there Lucas,” Elizabeth gave a little wave. 

Christine turned to her cousin. “Hi Elizabeth. You were looking for me?” 

Elizabeth nodded. “I was hoping you could do me a huge favor? Nathan and I are having dinner tonight, and Laura was supposed to watch Jack, but she got sick.”

“I would be happy to watch him for you, of course. What time?” 

Elizabeth beamed. “Thank you! Could you come around 5? Nathan said he would come by around 5:15.” 

Christine smiled and nodded. “Of course, I’ll be there.” She looked at her cousin’s bright eyes. “I’m really happy for you. And Nathan. He really lucked out.”

Elizabeth flushed and her eyes darted briefly to Lucas before returning to Christine. “I should probably head back. Rosemary is watching Jack right now, but I know she and Lee had some plans for this afternoon. I’ll see you tonight.”

Christine waved as her cousin turned and walked back out to the street, closing the door behind her. When Christine turned her attention back to Lucas, _his_ cheeks were red too, and he was looking at the floor. 

“Is everything okay?” Christine asked, confused at his sudden embarrassment. 

Lucas looked at her, a puzzled look in his eyes. “Of course. I’m sorry for prying about your previous relationship. It’s none of my business.”

Christine gave him a small smile. “It’s okay. I would have refused to answer if I was really uncomfortable telling you about it.”

Lucas nodded. “Well, I should probably go. I just came by to pick this up,” he said, holding up a copy of Shakespeare’s _Hamlet._ “I’ve got some things I need to do this afternoon.” 

“Okay. Enjoy the rest of your day!” she said with a wave as Lucas hastily left the library. When he was gone, she mused aloud, “That was a bit strange…”

  
  


* * *

Immediately upon leaving the library, Lucas headed straight for the woods. He needed to clear his head. There were a lot of things he needed to process through from his few minutes at the library. He should have guessed sooner that Christine had been engaged. He had known she was a bit sensitive to talks about conflict and romantic ends, he’d seen that sadness in her eyes, and heck, he definitely knew how strongly she felt about a fictional orphan girl choosing “the right man.” “I should have seen this!” he exclaimed loudly. He stopped walking and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and took a moment just to take stock of his emotions. 

He was a little jealous and disappointed. Christine’s history with another man didn’t mean that she would never fall in love again, but it made him realize how much he really liked her. But like her cousin, when they met she was still grieving. He knew he couldn’t disrupt the process because that would hurt them both, as he’d learned. 

He also felt like a bit of a fool. Some part of his mind and heart was so sure that she reciprocated his feelings. But it was highly unlikely if she broke off an engagement less than a year ago. And he felt his foolishness was compounded by the fact that he had quite recently been passed over romantically by Elizabeth, a close friend and relative of Christine’s. 

But in spite of all of this, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was attracted to Christine, that he really liked her. He sighed. It hadn’t been very long since Elizabeth had chosen Nathan over him. Surely it was too soon for him to have moved on. And his awkwardness when Christine had commented on how “lucky” Nathan was to receive Elizabeth’s affections told him that he was still feeling strange about the whole affair, although he felt no ill-will toward either of them any longer. He didn’t know what to think. So he carried on, determined to walk until he could make some sort of sense of his emotions. 

Lucas walked for almost an hour in the woods but found that he was no closer to having an answer to his emotional puzzle. But he was supposed to be behind the bar that afternoon, so he headed back to town. When he arrived at the saloon, there was the town’s beloved doctor, sitting at the bar with what appeared to be a letter. Lucas grinned wryly, assuming the letter was from the nurse, Faith Carter. 

“Carson, what brings you in this afternoon?” Lucas asked casually as he rolled up his sleeves and stepped back behind the bar. 

Carson Shepherd looked up from the letter in his hands. “Hi Lucas. I’m just here for lunch. I don’t have any patients this afternoon, so I thought I would take a long break and enjoy some of Gustav’s famous goulash.”

Lucas nodded. “Has anyone put that order in for you yet?” he asked. 

“Not yet. Emily brought me my iced tea, but she looked pretty overwhelmed, so I told her I could wait. I’m in no rush, after all.” 

“Well I’ll take care of it right now,” Lucas assured him, while mentally making a note that he should hire another waitress for the weekends. 

Carson smiled and nodded. “That sounds great, thanks Lucas.” 

Lucas sent back the order to Gustav and then came back to Carson to refill his drink. As he took the glass from him, Lucas inquired, “So is that a letter from Faith?” 

Carson’s smile widened. “Yes. She’s settled into her boarding house and has made some friends. There’s one other woman in her classes, and they’ve been studying together. It sounds like she’s too busy to be homesick, which is good for her.”

Lucas smiled at his friend. “I’m glad she’s doing well. We all miss her a lot, and I know I’m ready for her to be back already, so I can’t imagine how _you_ must be feeling.”

The doctor shrugged. “Honestly, I do miss her a lot, but I’m really proud of her for pursuing her dreams. And because of that I can’t quite wish for her to be back so soon. I am planning on visiting her for Christmas, though.” 

“That should be fun. We’ll have to get everyone together to make up a care package for you to bring to her. Something to let her know how much we all love her and are thinking of her.”

“I’m sure she would love that,” Carson said with a huge smile. 

Lucas nodded at the man as he went through the motions of his work: cleaning glasses, straightening bottles, and wiping down the counter. And when Gustav had prepared Carson’s goulash, Lucas brought it over to him. 

“Thanks. Are you okay?” Carson asked, making Lucas pause in surprise. 

“Certainly, why wouldn’t I be?” he responded, his brow rising.

“I don’t know, you just seem a little off today. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s almost like you’re just a split second off the beat.”

Lucas shrugged. “I’ve just got some things on my mind.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” 

He hesitated just a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

Lucas nodded and smiled. “Thank you, my friend. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” and he headed back to the kitchen to grab Mike’s food on the way over to his table. 

  
  


* * *

That evening, Christine headed over to Elizabeth’s row house a little earlier than she was expected. It was a surprisingly warm evening for so late in the year, and she wanted to enjoy her walk. She strolled along, cutting across the field next to the school and admiring all of the wildflowers growing there. She was surprised to see the light on in the school on a Saturday night. So, after checking her watch to make sure she had enough time for the delay, she walked cautiously up to the front door and knocked, before opening the door and stepping inside. 

“Good evening Miss Delaney, how are you?” called Pastor Zeke from the pulpit that had been moved to the front of the classroom. 

“Pastor Zeke! I’m doing well, thank you! I’m sorry for bothering you, I was just headed to Elizabeth’s and saw the lights on here. I thought I would check to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Oh, you’re not bothering me at all. I was just finishing up. I like to do a practice run of my sermons on Saturday evenings.” 

“That’s really interesting. It’s funny, I never gave too much thought to how pastors prepare for Sunday mornings, even though my parents were both Sunday school teachers when I was a little girl, and they spent several hours per week getting ready.” 

The pastor smiled at her. “It’s easy to forget that pastors are people too. With families and lives and nerves.” He shrugged. “Practicing giving my sermon aloud to an empty room has always calmed my nerves. It’s a technique my mother taught me. But I’m done for the evening, so I was going to head back to the preacherage.”

“Of course. It was good to see you, Pastor,” Christine said with a smile as she moved back toward the door. 

“Miss Delaney, may I escort you to Mrs. Thornton’s? It’s on my way, and I would hate to leave you to walk alone as it’s getting dark.”

Christine paused for a moment, hesitating for a split second before responding. “That would be lovely, thank you.” 

Zeke quickly gathered up his notes and his Bible and walked down the aisle to meet Christine at the entrance. After turning off the lights, the pair stepped into the cool night. 

“So Miss Delaney, we haven’t had an opportunity to really get to know each other. How did you end up here in Hope Valley?” he asked. “I don’t believe you had arrived yet when I first came to settle in and perform the Flynn’s wedding.” 

“No, I arrived only a few days before your return. My brother Kevin is the blacksmith here, and we were separated as children when our parents died, but my adopted brother investigated for me and helped me find Kevin. And then I just sort of decided to stay. Because Elizabeth Thatcher is my adopted cousin and Nathan Grant was one of my brother’s best friends and, I don’t know, Hope Valley just started to feel like the right place to settle in. Especially after my complicated ending in Calgary.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Calgary was my home until not long ago, and I’m quite fond of the city.” 

“Really? You lived in Calgary?”

Her companion nodded. “I was born and raised there. My father is a businessman. He works in publishing. And my brother is a doctor, and my sister married one of my father’s employees. They all still live there. I was the only one who decided to leave. The call to ministry isn’t only a call to a specific profession, but also where to practice that ministry. And I believe that Hope Valley is where I’ve been called.”

“Well, I can say that many people in town are very glad you’re here, Pastor. I know they’ve had a bit of a hard time finding a pastor who sticks around. At least, from what Elizabeth’s told me, that’s true. And I’ve really appreciated your sermons. I admire your enthusiasm and authenticity in the pulpit.”

“Thank you Miss Delaney. That’s very kind of you to say. I just speak as the Lord leads.” 

Before she had even realized it, Christine and the pastor had arrived at the Thornton’s door. “It was a pleasure talking with you. I hope to see you at church tomorrow.” 

“You certainly will. Good evening, Pastor Zeke.” Christine waved as she knocked on the door to Elizabeth’s home.

Elizabeth opened the door breathlessly. “Christine, you’re early!”

Christine shrugged. “Sorry. It was such a nice evening, I left early, planning to walk slowly. I guess it wasn’t quite slowly enough.” 

Elizabeth laughed. “You’re fine. I was just a little surprised. You’re always welcome! Do you mind if I go finish getting ready?” 

“Of course not, go finish!” Christine said with a wave as she walked to the table and set down her basket. 

“You should come sit with me while I do. I would love to catch up for a few minutes!” Elizabeth said with a smile. 

“Sure!” So Christine followed Elizabeth up the stairs of her house and into her bedroom. 

Elizabeth moved to her jewelry box and pulled a pair of earrings out, holding them to her ears and checking her reflection in the mirror. “So Christine, what were you looking for at the library this morning?” 

Christine smiled. “Oh, I was just browsing. There’s something about being so surrounded by books. There’s just so much potential--so much hope. So I walked around and looked, but I didn’t find anything that particularly stood out to me. And anyway, Mother is sending me the next _Anne_ book, and that’s supposed to get here any day now. But speaking of the library--” she began, unsure how to word the question that had so suddenly emerged in her mind.

Elizabeth turned from the mirror to look at her cousin perched carefully at the foot of her bed. “What is it?” 

“Things seemed very… awkward there for a minute. Is there some conflict between you and Lucas that I didn’t know about?” 

Elizabeth colored and set down her earrings. “Not exactly. You just… inadvertently hit on a sore spot between us.” 

Christine raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

Her cousin walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. “Lucas and Nathan were both vying for my affections when they first got to town. It intensified for a while, and Lucas was pursuing me pretty clearly, in spite of my verbalized hesitations. I think he really thought I was going to choose him. And then I didn’t. So when you said that Nathan was lucky to be with me…”

“Oh goodness. Poor Lucas.” Christine sighed. “I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“Don’t worry about it, Chrissie. Lucas and I are fine. I don’t think that he harbors any hard feelings toward me or Nathan. It just hit a little close to home.” Elizabeth paused and gave her cousin a piercing glance. “What were you talking about with Lucas before I arrived, anyway? Because _that_ looked like an intense conversation that I interrupted.” 

Christine flushed and looked away. “Oh, um… Lucas was asking about Boyd. Well, we were talking about marriage generally, and then I alluded to my previous engagement, and he asked about it. And I was just telling him about my mistakes.” She waited, and Elizabeth said nothing, so finally, she looked at her. 

Elizabeth had raised one eyebrow, but not in a condemning way. More surprised looking than anything else. Eventually, she responded. “You never talk about Boyd. Not with me. Not with Nathan. Not with Fiona or Kevin.”

Christine scrunched her brow. “Have you been talking about me behind my back?” she asked incredulously. 

Elizabeth stood back up and straightened her skirt. “I just… I worry that you haven’t processed your grief. So, when Aunt Beth was here, I asked how she thought you were doing. And she said she thought you were doing a lot better, but she didn’t think you had shared much, which is important. So I’ve been asking discreetly. Not to be nosy, but to be your caring older cousin who looks out for you.”

Christine sighed. “I suppose I can’t be upset with that.” She stood up and followed Elizabeth back in front of the mirror. She picked up a silver pair of earrings with a pearl drop. “Wear these. They’re perfect. And next time, just ask me directly. You know I’ll be honest with you.”

Elizabeth nodded, taking the earrings and putting them in. “You’re right, of course.” She giggled. “I’ve clearly been spending too much time with Rosemary.” 

Christine laughed with her. “If Rosemary pushes her way into her friends’ business because she cares about them and wants them to be okay, there are worse people you could be emulating,” she said after their laughter had subsided. 

Elizabeth pulled her cousin into a deep hug. “I love you Chrissie, and I want you to be happy and fulfilled in life. And you can’t do that if you’re closed off from people.”

Christine nodded. “I know. Thank you for looking out for me. And I really am working on being more open about my history. After all, I told Lucas, well, kind of a lot about it.”

The women stopped in the nursery to check on the sleeping toddler, before heading downstairs. “He went down for his nap kind of late, so don’t be surprised if he fusses when you try to put him down for bed after dinner.” 

Just then, there was a knock at the door. As Elizabeth walked over to open it, she turned to her cousin. “And don’t think we won’t be discussing _why_ you’ve been so willing to open up to Lucas Bouchard before your own family,” she said with a coy smile. 


End file.
